Getty Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield.
Ever since word surfaced that Russell Wilson could potentially waive his no-trade clause to join the New York Giants, the floodgates have opened for rumored changes under center in East Rutherford. Despite ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting back on December 26 that Daniel Jones is expected to return for the 2022 season, a laundry list of players continue to be floated as either an upgrade upon or competition for the third-year pro.
One player in particular who has gained plenty of steam in recent days is Browns signal-caller Baker Mayfield. The former No. 1 pick’s tenure in Cleveland looks to be as rocky as ever following a disappointing 2021 campaign. Hobbled for most of the year, Mayfield will not suit up in the Browns’ season finale as he preps for a January 19 surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. Per ESPN, Mayfield could be ready to return to action in time for OTAs in May/June. However, whether he’ll be taking part in Browns OTAs specifically — well that’s a whole other story.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, if Mayfield isn’t reassured that changes will be implemented into Kevin Stefanski’s offense, a trade demand could be on the horizon:
If Mayfield doesn’t get reassurance that things will change next season, he’ll consider asking to be traded. He’s under contract for $18.858 million in his fifth-year option year, but at this point, it’s uncertain if the Browns even view him as their starter for 2022.
Giants Once Again Floated as Suitors for Mayfield
With speculation rampant on Mayfield’s future whereabouts, the Giants have quickly become a trendy destination for the former Heisman winner.
First, it was Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports who, despite Jones’ presence, wondered “why on Earth [that] should that stop [the Giants] from investing more under center, considering the lifeless way they’re finishing?” Benjamin also added that Mayfield’s “old-school approach” would likely pair well with the coaching style of Joe Judge. Then it was ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser, who on a January 4 airing of “Pardon The Interruption,” claimed he believes Mayfield would “be better off someplace else than Cleveland” and that if he were the Giants he’d potentially look into adding the quarterback.
Most recently, NJ Advance Media’s Joe Giglio decided to chime in on the matter. Operating under a similar logic to both Benjamin and Kornheiser, Giglio named Mayfield as an “under-the-radar” quarterback option for 2022:
Baker Mayfield: Why not? Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick the year before the Giants took Jones, but might be out of favor in Cleveland. The Browns could be a sneaky pick to go after Wilson or Deshaun Watson, leaving Mayfield out in the cold. A buy-low by the Giants would be wise.
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Mayfield Pushes Back at Report
While the writing may ultimately be on the wall when it comes to Mayfield’s exit from Cleveland, the quarterback isn’t going to leave quietly. On January 6, Mayfield took to Twitter to refute Kay’s report and call out Cleveland media for causing unwarranted drama.
“Clickbait. You and many other Cleveland local media continue to be drama stirring reporters with no sources or facts. Don’t put words in my mouth so you can put food on your table. I’m not your puppet,” Mayfield tweeted.
The 26-year-old signal-caller remains under contract with the Browns through 2022 after the team decided to pick his fifth-year option (worth $18.9 million) back in April. However, a lot has changed since then. After leading Cleveland to an 11-5 record in 2020 and their first postseason appearance in 18 years, both Mayfield and the Browns stumbled in 2021. The team currently sits at 7-9 on the season and has been eliminated from playoff contention for the third time in Mayfield’s four years with the organization. Mayfield finished the season tossing just 16 touchdowns to 13 interceptions while amassing a career-low 3,010 yards passing. His 83.1 QB rating currently ranks 27th in the NFL.