Getty Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns warms up prior to the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 17, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Baker Mayfield on Wednesday finally broke silence on his deteriorating relationship with the Cleveland Browns, and offered some insight into which franchise he believes he will be playing for the next time he takes a snap.
Mayfield appeared on the April 13 edition of the “Ya Neva Know: You Know What I Mean?” podcast, during which he said he felt “disrespected” by the way the Browns handled his situation this offseason. Mayfield’s detailing of the interpersonal drama between himself and top-ranking members of the organization grabbed nationwide headlines, but his comments also offered some illumination on the most interesting subhead of this saga to date: When the dust finally settles, where will the quarterback end up?
“If this would have been about a week and a half ago, I would have said Indianapolis,” said Mayfield, referencing the Colts. “Seattle? I mean, it’d probably be the most likely option.”
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Mayfield added that he doesn’t know precisely where he will play next season, but he will catch on somewhere. And wherever that somewhere is, the four-year NFL starter said he’s not sweating the big career changes heading his way.
“I’m not nervous,” Mayfield said. “I’ve gone through a lot of s*** the past few years, but now I’m going to control what I can control. I‘m going to try to impact as many people as I possibly can and work my ass off doing it.”
Browns Will Have To Pay Up To Part Ways With Mayfield
GettyHead coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after defeating the Detroit Lions 51-29 at Lumen Field on January 2, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Seattle Seahawks make sense as a destination for Mayfield after they traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason. Drew Lock, who came to Seattle as part of the return in the Wilson deal, is currently the team’s best option under center.
However, Cleveland lost much of its leverage in potential Mayfield trade discussions after rushing to sign former Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson, which alienated Mayfield and started the chain of events that led him to post a goodbye letter to Browns fans, request a trade and make the comments he did Wednesday about the team disrespecting him.
The Browns guaranteed Mayfield nearly $19 million in 2022 after picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. At that price, and with Cleveland’s lack of leverage, NFL experts like Albert Breer of Monday Morning Quarterback have a hard time seeing any team jumping on Mayfield — even one like Seattle that appears desperately to need a QB.
However, if the Browns are willing to pony up and eat a significant portion of Mayfield’s contract, perhaps in the area of around $5 million, they might be able to secure a draft pick in return for the player who just two seasons ago helped the franchise win its first playoff game in more than 25 years.
Breer appeared on Monday’s edition of “The Rich Eisen Show” and laid out the situation.
“You know, I think this is really going to come down to Cleveland’s willingness to take on money, and how much money they’re willing to take on, because I don’t think Baker has zero value across the league,” Breer said. “I think he’s still seen as sort of a back half of the NFL starter. I don’t think he’s seen as this guy who only can be a backup.”