What once was a quarterback carousel has become a game of musical chairs, and at this time, there aren't many seats available for Baker Mayfield. With the Cleveland Browns' acquisition of embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson and signing of backup Jacoby Brissett, Mayfield will soon get the boot. But where he plays in 2022 is a huge question. The fourth-year starter's trade market has essentially been cut down to a pair of teams.
According to SI.com's Albert Breer, Cleveland is asking for a first-round pick in exchange for Mayfield. Considering that QB-needy teams like the Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Indianapolis Colts just added new players under center, the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers may be the only suitors left for Mayfield. But the Browns' steep price tag isn't going to convince those teams to make calls. They have little leverage.
"There's a chance the market may be so dry, that the Browns actually have to trade a pick with Baker to get somebody to take him," Cleveland sports radio host Dustin Fox told The DA Show on Tuesday. "Last thing the Browns want to do is have his contract on the books for this season. It's $18.8 million and it's all guaranteed, unless they trade him someplace else. In the terms of the cap for this year, that's a huge hit...
"He wears his emotions on his sleeve. I don't think he's a bad guy or a bad person. I think that's kind of who he is and who he's always been. I thought he would've been humbled after the first couple seasons here in Cleveland, when they didn't have a lot of success, he went through multiple coaches, and they thought it was just going to be super easy, back in 2019. I don't know if it did [humble him]. I think Baker is who he is."
Mayfield's 2021 campaign was a nightmare. For three-plus months, he played with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, and he underwent successful surgery to repair the injury in mid-January. Because of nagging problems with his shoulder, knee, and foot, the 26-year-old threw for just 3,010 yards with 17 touchdowns, 13 picks, and a career-low 35.1 QBR across 14 games. Cleveland finished the season with an 8-9 record, and missed the AFC playoffs.
Last spring, the Browns exercised the fifth-year option on Mayfield, and he's set to make $18.8 million in 2022. Despite the injury concerns and mediocre performances, Spotrac lists his current market value at $159.4 million across five years. With an average annual value (AAV) of $31 million, Mayfield would become the NFL's 10th-highest paid player and quarterback. Suffice to say, there isn't one team willing to offer him that type of contract right now.
The entire Browns conversation between Fox and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The DA Show on Twitter @DAonCBS and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.