Mayra Madrigal
Baker Mayfield will be a bargaining chip between the Browns and Panthers, and while the franchises work out a deal, he will skip the mandatory mini-training camp.
It was known that the quarterback, Baker Mayfield, would not continue with the Cleveland Browns, but to date his next destination remains unknown. Last week, the Cleveland franchise announced that it had excused the player from the mandatory mini-camp, meaning that, despite not attending, he will not be fined.
The mini camp involves three training sessions and the player who does not show up is financially fined because it is considered indiscipline, since many players try to use it as a pressure mechanism to get extensions.
Baker Mayfield is different, as his absence is due to the fact that it seems that he is close to going to North Carolina, and while the franchises work out the terms of the trade, he will not be forced to comply with the training sessions.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, what is delaying the negotiation is Baker Mayfield’s salary, but he also said that the Carolina Panthers are showing “urgency” in adding the quarterback.
According to Jones, despite the urgency, they consider paying $18.8 million to be too much.
Baker Mayfield Could Be a Panthers Player
The Browns added Deshaun Watson to their ranks, and that annoyed Mayfield, who felt his place as the starting quarterback was secure. Despite the arrival of the new quarterback, it seems that the Cleveland franchise had no intention of releasing the player, but he has pushed to get out of there knowing that he will have competition.
The Panthers have thought about him since they learned of the player’s decision, but they started making moves after the 2022 Draft that was held in late April.
In case of reaching Carolina, Mayfield would not be guaranteed either to be the starting quarterback since there is Sam Darnold, who did not have a good 2021 season.
In four seasons with the Browns, Mayfield threw for 92 touchdowns, 56 interceptions, and has a 49% winning percentage, the highest by a Cleveland franchise quarterback since Testaverde in the mid-1990s.
