Baker Mayfield was once the Cleveland Browns’ answer at quarterback. Now, uncertainty around his future in Tampa Bay has made the Buccaneers a speculative landing spot for another Browns passer.
Shedeur Sanders was floated by PFSN’s Cooper Kleinberg as a potential trade fit for the Buccaneers, who have Mayfield entering a contract year and no obvious long-term answer behind him. It is a full-circle wrinkle for Cleveland, which drafted Mayfield No. 1 overall in 2018 before eventually moving on from him in the Deshaun Watson trade that reset the franchise’s quarterback plans.
“There is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding Baker Mayfield this offseason, and the rest of the quarterback room doesn’t offer much long-term optimism,” Kleinberg said.
Behind Mayfield, Tampa Bay has Jake Browning, Connor Bazelak and Jalon Daniels. Kleinberg noted that none of those quarterbacks appear to be part of the Buccaneers’ long-term plans. If contract talks with Mayfield fall apart and Tampa Bay does not bottom out badly enough to land a top quarterback in next year’s draft, Sanders could represent a developmental swing.
“Sanders could give the Buccaneers a developmental option behind Mayfield before eventually taking over as the team’s long-term starter,” Kleinberg said.
The Browns also have a crowded room. Deshaun Watson, Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green are all in the mix heading into training camp. Cleveland is very unlikely to carry four quarterbacks into the regular season.
Baker Mayfield Contract Talks Add Intrigue to Buccaneers Link
Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay after his Cleveland exit and is now trying to cash in again. He is entering the final year of the three-year, $100 million deal he signed with the Buccaneers in 2024.
Mayfield has made it clear that he wants clarity before training camp. He said earlier this offseason that the sides were “not anywhere close” on an extension and that he would not continue negotiating once camp begins.
“First and foremost, regardless, we’ve built roots here in Tampa,” Mayfield said, per NFL.com. “We love the community, we love being here, they’ve embraced us, and we enjoy being here and obviously gonna raise kids here.”
Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his first season with the Buccaneers in 2023, then followed it with a career-best 2024 campaign, passing for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and a 106.8 passer rating. His production dipped last season, but he still finished with 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions
Browns Not Expected to Move Shedeur Sanders Before Camp
The Sanders trade chatter can be traced back to Tony Rizzo of ESPN Cleveland, who said the Browns had received calls about the second-year quarterback’s availability.
“There are talks, ongoing calls, about the availability of Shedeur Sanders,” Rizzo said. “The Browns, for whatever reason, don’t think he’s the guy — that’s my opinion. And I’m sure they’ll say, ‘What are you talking about? He’s in a quarterback battle.’ OK, OK. But I’m going to say right now for the record, I don’t think the four quarterbacks are going to camp on July 28. I don’t. Nothing is imminent. But the calls are being made, and I think it’s probably in the best interest of both parties here.”
The biggest issue with any Sanders trade idea is timing. Longtime Browns reporter Mary Kay Cabot pushed back on the idea that Cleveland is actively shopping Sanders during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan. Cabot said she has not heard anything currently about teams calling on Sanders or Gabriel. She believes the Browns are committed to letting the competition play out.
She also noted that the conversation could shift closer to roster cutdowns, when teams routinely listen on backup quarterbacks and assess the final shape of the roster.
Browns QB Floated as Baker Mayfield Replacement