Baker Mayfield didn't perform like a quarterback worthy of a massive contract extension on Sunday. He completed just 15 of 33 passes for 155 yards in the Cleveland Browns' 14-7 road win over the Minnesota Vikings, and posted his lowest passer rating (59.9) since Week 6 of last season.
From start to finish, Mayfield struggled to generate offense. After the game, he even admitted to reporters that he didn't know "what the hell that was." Whether or not the fourth-year starter's performance was simply a clunker, former NFL quarterback Shaun King is concerned about Mayfield's skillset.
"His talent isn't significant enough to overcome his flawed fundamentals," King told the Tiki and Tierney show on Tuesday. "If you think about that, big-picture, there are certain guys who don't have to be on-balance, don't have to step into throws. You're Rodgers, Mahomes, or Allen, because their arm talent is so elite. Baker has those same mechanics and fundamentals without the talent. He's a guy who needs to be more like Drew Brees.
"Be like Brees, who was always on-balance, really worked on climbing in the pocket... Baker just doesn't do that. He has this care-free, like, 'I'm playing in a backyard pickup game' and it kills his ball location... He's got to have a come-to-Jesus meeting with himself, or they have to bring in someone strong, who's accomplished and can coach and retrain his fundamentals. Or, I really think Cleveland may need to move in a different direction."
Mayfield hasn't performed well under pressure this season -- he's completed only 8 of 24 passes (33.3-percent), which ranks 31st among the league's 34 qualifying quarterbacks. His QBR of 39.8 also ranks 26th in the NFL, and he's averaging only 5.7 air yards per completion, according to Next Gen Stats. Mayfield was 0-for-6 on passes thrown 20-plus yards against Minnesota.
At 25 years old, Mayfield became a hero for the Browns in 2020. The former first-overall pick threw for 3,563 yards with 26 touchdowns and a career-low eight interceptions in 16 games, and helped lead Cleveland to its first playoff appearance since 2002. His market value is currently listed at $140 million across four years, per Spotrac, and with this contract extension, he'd become the fifth-highest average paid player in the NFL.
Cleveland (3-1) will visit the Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) in a marquee Week 5 matchup on Sunday. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Browns have a 71-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 36-percent chance to win the AFC North.
The entire NFL conversation between King and Tiki and Tierney can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Tiki and Tierney Show on Twitter @TikiAndTierney and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.