Baker Mayfield couldn’t get to the locker room after Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns without a reminder of his hefty new contract.
“A fan somewhere in the stadium was yelling ‘$55 million’ while Baker Mayfield and the Bucs ran into the tunnel after that loss,” cleveland.com’s Dan Labbe wrote on X.
After a weather delay of more than two hours, Mayfield returned with a chance to finish a game-winning touchdown drive against his former team. Instead, his fourth-down pass intended for Emeka Egbuka fell incomplete in the rain, allowing Cleveland to escape with a 23-19 victory. The Browns improved to 1-1, while Tampa Bay dropped to 0-2.
It was a disappointing finish to a matchup Mayfield had been anticipating for months. During an August appearance on the “4th and South” podcast with former teammate Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette, he identified Cleveland’s visit as the game he had circled.
“First home game. Week 2. Cleveland,” Mayfield said. “It’s time to show [the Browns] which home is better.”
Mayfield struck a more measured tone during game week, acknowledging how much Cleveland had changed since his departure. But he made clear that facing a former team still carried extra motivation.
Baker Mayfield Struggles as Deshaun Watson Delivers
Mayfield entered the season with a new three-year, $165 million extension that runs through 2029. The deal averages $55 million annually, raising the expectations for a quarterback who rebuilt his career in Tampa Bay.
Much of the scrutiny entering Sunday centered on Watson and Cleveland’s $230 million investment. But Mayfield gave his own fan base reason for frustration.
He finished 20 of 34 for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Tampa Bay managed just one touchdown, settling for four Chase McLaughlin field goals.
Mayfield also heard boos from the home crowd after consecutive overthrows in the third quarter. Across the field, Watson produced the response he needed with his starting job under scrutiny.
Cleveland trailed 9-6 at halftime and fell behind by 10 early in the third quarter. Watson then helped turn a stagnant offense into one capable of finishing drives, ending the afternoon 24 of 30 for 238 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
His 55-yard touchdown connection with rookie Denzel Boston tied the game late in the third quarter. It was the longest play of the Browns season so far. Watson later found tight end Blake Whiteheart for a 17-yard touchdown with 3:51 remaining, giving Cleveland the lead it would protect through the delay.
Deshaun Watson Makes Case to Start Browns Home Opener
Watson’s performance should be enough to keep him in the starting lineup for next Sunday’s home opener against the Carolina Panthers.
Before kickoff, Ian Rapoport reported that Cleveland viewed its first two road games as a natural point to evaluate the quarterback position. Watson gave Todd Monken a strong reason to stay with him.
The win also gives Watson a chance at a better reception when he returns to Huntington Bank Field. He was booed during Cleveland’s preseason loss to Buffalo, when he completed five of 12 passes for 36 yards and an interception. Watson called the reaction “personal” and “disrespectful.”
Coming home at 1-1 after leading a comeback should ease some of the pressure that would have accompanied an 0-2 start.
But Watson cannot make Sunday a one-week exception. He needs to build on the second half against Tampa Bay and give Cleveland consistent production. With Shedeur Sanders waiting behind him, another prolonged stretch of ineffective offense would put a quarterback change back in play.
Baker Mayfield Taunted Immediately After Loss to Browns