Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns and Baker Mayfield have yet to agree to a long-term extension that would keep him with the team for the foreseeable future, although it could come soon, per a new report.
The Browns are in an interesting situation with the former top overall pick, with benefits to both waiting or moving quickly.
If the Browns pull the trigger before the start of next season, it could save them a significant amount of money if Mayfield ends up having a career year, increasing his value.
If the team chooses to wait, they’ll get another year to evaluate Mayfield, but it could cost them a premium.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is leaning toward Mayfield’s deal getting done before Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson — accomplished quarterbacks from his draft class. Here’s what Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter, per Bleacher Report.
“So some people around the league believe this could get done the soonest because [Lamar Jackson] and [Josh Allen] are mostly top-five-to-seven quarterbacks. They’re considered high-end guys, where Baker is still working his way into that. Maybe a bit of a different market could be easier to get done. The Browns have made it clear they want to keep their core intact the best they can. They got guard Wyatt Teller, cornerback Denzel Ward, running back Nick Chubb and Mayfield. In a perfect world, they’d love to try to keep all of those guys, so I suspect they will chip away at a potential deal with Mayfield in the coming months. And I’m told Mayfield feels he’s in a much better place with Cleveland than he was, say, 18 months ago. They were coming off that rough year, it was hard to know what to expect with their offensive identity. Now, Mayfield is a big part of that identity for the future.”
Baker Mayfield Not Worried About Extension
Mayfield is coming off his most consistent season as a pro, passing for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He excelled in Kevin Stefanski’s offense after getting familiar with the system and he should only take another leap this season.
Mayfield is not too anxious about inking a long-term extension, knowing deep down that putting tallies in the win column will be the most effective thing to help his cause.
“Like I keep saying, I think everything happens for a reason. I think the chips will fall where they are supposed to,” Mayfield told reporters via Zoom at minicamp. “I am concerned about winning, and that is what everybody in this building needs to be concerned about. It is not saying that everybody is not, but the concern right now is winning and building a strong foundation for this season.”
Mayfield’s predicted market value currently is four years, $141 million, with an average annual salary of just over $35 million, per Spotrac.
Baker Mayfield Impresses at Minicamp
Mayfield was impressive at minicamp and showed his evolution in the offense, which offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt noticed.
“There are a lot of areas and a lot of pass concepts that we wanted work on in this minicamp that maybe he did not completely own last year and wanted improvement in these plays. He has shown that,” Van Pelt said of Mayfield. “A lot of that is just working through progression and knowing where to go next if one and two are covered, and he got that accomplished in this camp. We are very happy with where he is right now.”
With a more normal offseason after a COVID-stricken season, Mayfield will have a chance to grow the relationship with his pass-catchers, like Austin Hooper, who came on last season and is
“It’s like any relationship — you’ve just got to keep working on it and keep understanding each other,” Hooper said in an interview on the Jim Rome Show. “Baker, being the guy who’s my age and has been at similar points in our lives, it’s been awesome. He’s a young, hungry guy who wants to work, and it’s been awesome and I’m really grateful.”
The Browns and Mayfield open the season on September 12 at Kansas City.
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