Proposed Trade Has Browns Swapping QBs With NFC North Squad

Baker Mayfield’s late-season slump continued against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, not helping his prospect of being the quarterback going forward for the Cleveland Browns.

During a halftime Q&A on Twitter, NFL insider Albert Breer reacted to multiple trade ideas from fans, including a deal that would swap Mayfield for Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

“Baker for Kirk Cousins, who says no,” the question read.

Breer’s response: “Not impossible”

“That’s a good question,” Breer said. “Stefanski has a relationship with Kirk. But I don’t know who’s coaching the Vikings next year.”

Cousins hasn’t played at an elite level this season but could be a fit for Stefanski’s offense. The 33-year-old QB has passed for 3,971 yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. The problem could be his contract, with Cousins due a whopping $35 million next season.

With the Browns struggling mightily against the Steelers on national TV, other situations were also pitched. Breer said Mayfield being a stopgap option for Washington “not impossible” and said that Derek Carr landing in Cleveland as Baker’s successor “a fun idea.” Obviously, none of that is concrete trade chatter, but it gives an idea of the options the Browns could have available this offseason as they weigh their future at quarterback.

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Mayfield Struggling Against Steelers

Mayfield started the game against the Steelers 1 of 10 for 20 yards, getting multiple passes batted down at the line of scrimmage and tossing an ugly interception. The rough outing came a week after Mayfield tossed four interceptions against the Packers where he vowed to be better.

The Mayfield defenders would argue that the former top pick is playing through injury, with a brace on his non-throwing shoulder due to a torn labrum. It was admirable with the Browns battling for a playoff spot, but at this point, Mayfield appears to be hurting his reputation as a starter in the NFL.

Prior to the game, ESPN aired an interview between Alex Smith and Mayfield where he shared how hard the injuries have been for him to battle through.

“It’s been really hard, to be honest with you. I can’t sugarcoat that,” Mayfield said. “There’s no way around it. You have to take the extra time to get your body in the best position to go out on Sundays and find a way to win,” Mayfield said. “I’ll say this —  I did everything I could to get to the point where I felt comfortable enough to play to where I knew I’d help us win games and be healthy enough to do that. If I felt otherwise, I would have told them I couldn’t go.”

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Mayfield Was Expected to Play ‘Best Football’ After Bye

Browns general manager Andrew Berry gave a small vote of confidence to Mayfield during the bye week, also noting the team expected him to play his best football down the stretch. That hasn’t happened. Entering Monday’s game the Browns were 1-1 in Mayfield’s starts following the bye, with the fourth-year QB passing for just 412 yards with four touchdowns, five interceptions.

“I think we all know that Baker is incredibly physically tough. I think he has told you guys at moments in the year when he has been frustrated with his own performance,” Berry said. “ I know what he expects of himself and what we expect of him whenever he is on the field to perform at a capable level and at a winning level. We expect him to play his best football down the stretch after the bye.”

No matter how you slice it, the Browns have a decision to make on Mayfield and his play is starting to make it an easier one.

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