Getty Pete Carroll's Seahawks say they are happy with new quarterback Drew Lock.
The Seattle Seahawks may not be as interested in landing Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield as some reports indicated. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Seahawks “have never really been that interested” in adding Mayfield.
“It is not right. …There’s a couple times a year where this happens where you get an internet rumor that kind of takes on a life of its own,” Rapoport detailed during a July 5, 2022 interview on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “Believe me, I always check, and I’ve heard nothing to corroborate Baker to the Seahawks at all. And I don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of all this, like maybe this guy announces he’s trolling us, but it seems crazy to me, they have never been that interested in Baker.
“What they have wanted is a Drew Lock v. Geno Smith battle. Training camp is going to be a grind and sometimes not that exciting despite football being back. That is going to be a fascinating training camp because we are going to see them literally battle it out on the field. I don’t know which way it’s going to go. It seems like Geno has a little bit of a leg up now, but that’s going to be a fun battle.”
Here is a look at Rapoport discussing the latest details on the Seahawks quarterback situation.
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen with Baker Mayfield but the Seahawks have never really been that interested in him” ~@RapSheet
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There Are Conflicting Reports Regarding the Seahawks’ Interest in Mayfield
Rapoport’s update comes after a report surfaced from FanSided’s Michael Balko noting that “a deal was close to done” between the Seahawks and Browns before new teams entered the picture. The one thing that appears almost certain is that the Browns and Mayfield are heading towards a breakup despite a suspension likely looming for Deshaun Watson.
“The Seahawks and the Browns are still in discussions regarding QB Baker Mayfield,” Balko tweeted on July 3. “A deal was close to done, but a new team has reportedly entered the Mayfield sweepstakes as well. Stay tuned.”
Despite the conflicting reports, it is fair to say if the Seahawks’ interest level for Mayfield was high that the quarterback would already be on the roster. It would have been advantageous for Mayfield to participate in minicamp given the quarterback would be learning a new offensive system. There is also a chance that the Seahawks changed their stance after seeing Drew Lock and Geno Smith compete this offseason.
Seahawks Have a ‘High Level of Interest’ in Mayfield: Report
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson labeled Rapoport’s report as “inaccurate” suggesting that the Seahawks may be indicating a lack of interest to create leverage in trade talks with the Browns. The NFL insider previously reported that the Seahawks had a “high level of interest” in Mayfield.
“I’m told the Seahawks still have a high level of interest in acquiring QB Baker Mayfield and behind-the-scenes are open to contractually extending him, per league source,” Anderson tweeted on June 22. “I also know that the process of collecting information and insights into Mayfield is still ongoing.”
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested that the Seahawks may be running a bit of a misdirection campaign on Mayfield similar to what the team orchestrated with Russell Wilson prior to pulling off a blockbuster trade. Even if Seattle is interested in Mayfield, there is no advantage for the Seahawks to show their hand.
“Seattle, which did its best to misdirect everyone for months on whether Russell Wilson would be traded, possibly is doing the same thing here, working to create the impression that they aren’t interested despite being interested in upgrading from Geno Smith and the U.S. Open’s new favorite punching bag, Drew Lock,” Florio wrote on July 5.
“It makes sense to keep it quiet, for multiple reasons. They want to get Mayfield as cheaply as possible, both as to draft picks and compensation. With no one else poised to pull the trigger, and with the chances of the Browns and Mayfield coexisting somewhere south of slim and none, the Browns need two viable suitors in order to get the best possible deal that they can.”