A new report has shed further light on the messy breakup between the Browns and quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The 2018 No. 1 overall pick is widely expected to be gone after requesting a trade following the Browns' acquisition of former Texans star Deshaun Watson in March.
According to an article published on ESPN.com on Thursday, the falling out began last season after a shoulder injury sapped Mayfield's performance and confidence.
The release of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. -- after Beckham's father had called out Mayfield's poor play on social media -- became a fault line in the locker room, the report said, because of Beckham's popularity with his teammates.
Later, with Mayfield struggling and the Browns eliminated from postseason contention, the quarterback publicly questioned head coach Kevin Stefanski's play calling, and privately wondered if he were being sabotaged in anticipation of an eventual jettisoning, ESPN reported.
The sides seemed to mend things for a while after the season, though, but the fissures were renewed when the Browns intensified their pursuit of Watson after criminal investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct concluded without charges.
Mayfield later revealed he felt "betrayed" by the Browns holding a meeting with Watson after it had appeared Mayfield would again be the starter in 2022 -- even though, according to the story, the Browns had informed Mayfield's agent that they still might make a move for an "All-Pro"-caliber quarterback.
Meanwhile Mayfield's future is in limbo, with the Browns apparently struggling to find a trade partner willing to take on his hefty 2022 salary, which was guaranteed when the Browns picked up his fifth-year option last offseason.
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