Getty Baker Mayfield warms up on January 1, 2023 in Inglewood.
Baker Mayfield has been linked to the following teams for 2023: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens — either to replace a legend like Tom Brady, become a fallback option if Derek Carr isn’t signed or backup Lamar Jackson.
The Los Angeles Rams quarterback, for the first time in his young NFL career, is heading to the offseason without any trade rumblings attached to him compared to last season. But this time he’s an unrestricted free agent free to sign elsewhere. While many believe Mayfield would want a starting position elsewhere or simply drift off from the Rams, one analyst offered this suggestion to the Rams.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on Monday, February 27 wrote how Mayfield should be given a one-year deal worth up to $4 to $5 million to play QB with…the Rams.
Why Mayfield is Better Off Staying, Per Barnwell
The veteran NFL analyst laid out some ideas as to why Mayfield is better off staying put in the “Rams House” rather than seek out a new, perhaps richer, opportunities elsewhere.
“The Rams are coming off a lost season, as they followed their Super Bowl victory with an injury-riddled 5-12 campaign. Coach Sean McVay weighed retirement before agreeing to return, while quarterback Matthew Stafford missed time with various injuries, most notably a spinal cord contusion. Stafford has said he expects to return to action, but the 35-year-old also is battling an elbow issue that nagged him through the past two seasons. At the very least, the Rams have to prepare for the possibility Stafford will miss time again,” Barnwell first outlined.
That’s when Mayfield got entered into Barnwell’s belief the Rams are better off keeping him and he’s better off staying.
“Enter Mayfield, who was claimed off waivers in December and immediately led the Rams to a victory over the Raiders. The 2018 No. 1 overall pick didn’t post wildly impressive numbers in his five starts, but he was playing with backups at wide receiver and along the offensive line. He had barely learned the offense by the end of the season,” Barnwell said.
Could Mayfield Still End up Being a Starter?
Furthermore, Barnwell believes that Mayfield having a “long-term starting opportunity” won’t be in the cards for the 2023 season given his recent happenings in Cleveland and Charlotte.
“Mayfield was a disaster with the Browns in 2021 and in his brief stint with the Panthers last season, so a long-term starting opportunity won’t be in the cards this offseason. He likely is looking at an opportunity to serve as a bridge starter ahead of a rookie or a high-end backup,” Barnwell writes.
However, it’s not just Mayfield facing the possibility of not having a starter’s market this free agency period as to why the analyst believes that the Rams should lure him back in. There’s the added concern of Stafford being in an empty quarterback room with John Wolford and Bryce Perkins as free agents. The Rams could pivot to the draft (Jake Haener of Fresno State and Hendon Hooker of Tennessee have been called options), but Stafford coming off a spinal cord contusion injury and nearing 35 is another reason why Barnwell believes Mayfield should get one more stay inside the “Rams House.”
“Given Stafford’s health, staying put in Los Angeles might be one of his best chances to see significant playing time. A one-year deal in the $4-5 million range would be reasonable,” Barnwell wrote.