The so-called relationship between the Cleveland Browns and quarterback Baker Mayfield has become even more strained and severed.
With OTAs well underway, and with many expecting new Browns QB Deshaun Watson to be suspended soon by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, there may have been a trickle of hope that Mayfield would put his bruised ego aside and make himself available just in case.
But it appears even less likely that he will, as the team has excused him from their mandatory minicamp, which will take place next week.
It is the latest part of the collective wedge that has been driving Mayfield further and further apart from the only NFL team he has ever played for.
Across social media, members of the Dawg Pound aren’t hiding their frustration.
https://twitter.com/Jwroobzz/status/1534722353954947072
LOL @browns "excusing" @bakermayfield from mandatory minicamp. Like he was going to show up in the first place. They are just doing anything they can to save face IMO.
— ✨Yinz (@YinzUp) June 8, 2022
At this point, CLE should just fork over the $13-14M it’s gonna take to move him…which will be hilarious when Watson has to sit all year. They couldn’t have screwed this up much worse. 😆
— ᴋᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴏɴ ⚓️ (@Kommanderson) June 8, 2022
They’re gonna need him cause Watson aint playin this szn.
— LDS (@ledesovo) June 8, 2022
As long as he still getting paid he'll be OK…if that was us regular working folks, we'll have to file for unemployment and wait 2 weeks to get paid..and that's if your lucky because if u mess up…Good luck
— Sanford&Nephew (@Oldschool19761) June 8, 2022
Mayfield May Have Gotten Past The Point Of No Return
Not too long ago, Mayfield was a promising up-and-coming QB, and Browns fans thought they may have found a true franchise signal-caller.
He set the NFL rookie record for most touchdown passes in 2018, and in 2020, he guided Cleveland to the playoffs, where it won its first postseason game since the 1994 season.
But his play has been up and down, and turnovers have been a problem.
He has thrown at least 13 interceptions in three of his four pro seasons, and for his career, he has a 2.9 percent interception rate, which is simply too high.
After the 2021 season ended in disappointment for the Browns, they started to grow further apart from Mayfield.
The final straw may have come in March, even before they acquired Watson when NFL analyst Chris Mortensen reported that the Browns want “an adult” under center.
Very soon afterward, Mayfield asked to be traded.
His talent and even his potential are undeniable, but he has a lot of maturing to do, and it is simply too much for a Browns team that is hoping to return to the playoffs this coming season.
There seems to be no progress on a potential Mayfield trade either.
The Carolina Panthers are in great need of a competent quarterback, and perhaps Mayfield would be under less pressure if he joined them, but nothing has materialized with them so far.
The Seattle Seahawks have been another team that has been talked about as being in the market for a good QB after trading Russell Wilson, but nothing has happened there either.
Reportedly, a sticking point for potential suitors has been the nearly $19 million that Mayfield is owed next season, and the Browns’ reported reluctance to cover any of that cost.
A Dark Cloud Hangs Over The Browns
On paper, Cleveland has what looks to be a playoff team, with Watson under center, Nick Chubb in the backfield and possibly poised for a huge year plus four-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper at wide receiver.
On the other side of the ball, Jadeveon Clowney is back on a new contract and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah could have a Pro Bowl season ahead of him.
Optimism and excitement should be the predominant emotions surrounding the Browns right now.
Instead, that dark cloud hanging over Northeast Ohio is taking the form of Mayfield being in limbo and Watson likely having to serve a suspension.
Browns fans are used to bad things ruining promising seasons for their team, but now that it has one of the best rosters on paper it has ever had, the level of frustration and angst, at least in some ways, is higher than ever.
NEXT: Cade York Showing Off Big Leg At OTA's
HERE WE GO (AGAIN) BROWNIES, HERE WE GO!!
Cut this predator. Apologize to Mayfield. Let him lead the team for one more year. Watch the fans come back in groves! Then let him pursue more promising and appreciative teams.
I agree, Goodbye Watson!! As a Texan fan I’m glad to see the amuser leave like most Texans fans.. Watson has been surrounded by good players in the last even what some consider the best receiver in the league. Put up huge numbers but then chokes as he will in Cleveland.
Keep Mayfield, make him
happy and you will have a great quarterback in the future.
Houston could have made Watson play in 21
Or not paid him. We don’t want that reputation and I’m sure most brown fans don’t either. Not guilty, maybe a couple but 22.? I like the browns and follow the team but not with a predator behind center. Your team has all the right pieces to win without that fool.
$19 million that Mayfield is owed next season,
nope, he gets that THIS season
$19 million that Mayfield is owed next season,
Ever look at Peyton Manning’s interceptions – higher than 13 throughout his whole career. 2.7% for his career. Compared to Mayfield’s 2.9%.
Uhm, how about Brett Favre’s stats, 336 interceptions over his career… rowns would have made playoffs again last year had Baker not been so banged up, And he sure didn’t get any help from Stefanski play calling. They set Baker up to fail, sorry but true!
Don’t embarrass yourself comparing those two
I totally agree last year was as much about coaches not coaching as the players
Browns haven’t been able to get out of their own way since their move to Baltimore. Baltimore refused their name and records and the rest is history. Cleveland and their CLOWNS suck and always will.
How about suspending Haslam, Stefanski, Berry and Watson for a year and bring back Baker, a respectable coach and an offensive coordinator? Only chance at a Super Bowl and saving face in the NFL!
How much can one guy take. After getting them to playoffs he was dissed by media. Embarrassed by teammate . Had talking heads say he was a bust, when he struggled to play through injuries.. I think all involved should be ashamed!
Ravens didn’t refuse anything and would have loved the Browns name and records but Browns fans fought to keep them.
Hopefully we won’t have to pay Watson. Haslem is a stupid crook and should be
banned from his NFL ownership. Baker was hurt the entire season. The Browns
management should all be fired. Due diligence what a joke. I’m done with the Browns.
When will Cleveland invest and keep team players like Pittsburgh has done for years? It’s as if Cleveland builds her players to sell them to others. What happened to the support and faith in players Cleveland had when Jim Brown played for us?
Could any organization any where mess this up more than the Browns. Mr Hallam and Mr Berry have put the Browns in a very expensive position to fail. The league won’t help them because they screwed up the whole guaranteed money practice all while dissing a player that they will have to pay $19 million. You can’t make this stuff up! Another back to the drawing board year.
Stefanski was the major problem last year with his terrible play calling. He is obviously over his ability at head coach. Cleveland had the perfect storm several years ago when the Haslams bought the organization the worst owners cleveland could have had.