Henry Roldán
Baker Mayfield’s story with the Cleveland Browns reached a point of no return, with his absence from next week’s mandatory mini-camp being another sign of that.
According to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski noted that the quarterback and the organization reached an agreement for him to be excused from practice without being fined for his absence.
Let’s recall that Mayfield requested a trade from the Browns after feeling misled by the franchise that had initially announced him as their starting quarterback for the 2022 NFL season, but then acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans a few weeks later.
In addition, the Browns gave Watson a five-year, $230 million contract, something Baker Mayfield was nowhere near getting despite being in the final year of his rookie deal after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 Draft.
Mayfield didn’t fare well last season, going 6-8 with much of it played injured, but in 2020 he led the Browns to the postseason for the first time since 2002.
Baker Mayfield and his market value
While many teams are interested in Baker Mayfield’s services, the $18.8 million the 28-year-old will earn in 2022 is a big impediment to any trade.
The Browns aren’t interested in giving a significant portion of that money to another club, while teams like the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks, who appeared to be interested at the time, aren’t willing or able to pay such a high price.
Meanwhile, Mayfield is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder that, as we mentioned, reduced his actions last season, and he’s hoping that in the coming weeks he can have a clearer future of where he will play next season.
