The longer that the Cleveland Browns hold onto Baker Mayfield, the more they seem to be turning him into a sympathetic figure.
Former NFL quarterback and current NBC analyst Chris Simms ranked Mayfield as his No. 17 quarterback for the 2022 season, suggesting that many are having their view of the former No. 1 overall pick clouded by how he looked late in the 2021 season when he was playing with a torn left labrum.
After breaking down Mayfield's strengths and weaknesses as a quarterback, Simms ranted about how the Browns have treated Mayfield this offseason.
"... Last but not least, what I'll say about this situation is, I mean he's really being f----- over by the Cleveland Browns. They've done this to him. They put him in this situation. All he did was gut it out and play hard. And then they went and did the Deshaun Watson thing ... then continued to flirt with him ... went and visited him ... pissed off Baker Mayfield, which is crazy that they didn't think that would piss him off ... then release some things to the media about 'We need an adult in the room' and all that kind of stuff ... and now, they're gonna hold him hostage to where he has no team.
"At some point -- it's gonna be interesting to see where this goes -- he might have to make them uncomfortable at some point. He might have to start showing up at the facility. He might have to."
There's one school of thought that believes that Browns' general manager Andrew Berry may be holding onto Mayfield in part because of the possibility that Deshaun Watson could be suspended for the entirety of the 2022 season. A 23rd woman filed a civil lawsuit against Watson Tuesday, alleging that he engaged in sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions.
Related
But even if Watson is suspended for a significant chunk or all of the 2022 season, it's hard to imagine the Browns being able to put the toothpaste back in the tube with Mayfield and convincing him to be a good solider for them until Watson is cleared to play. Veteran Jacoby Brissett is also under contract in Cleveland.
Whether Mayfield plays for the Browns, another team or no one at all in 2022, he has a fully-guaranteed $18.58 million salary as part of his fifth-year option on his rookie contract. However, he's set to become a free agent after the 2022 season, and not playing much or at all in his contract year would do great harm to the 27-year-old's career.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram