Could Baker Mayfield have just a few more games in a Cleveland Browns uniform left in him? As unlikely as it sounds, one NFL analyst believes it’s actually his golden ticket out of Cleveland.
Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus tweeted on Sunday that while Baker may loathe the idea of playing for the Browns given how they’ve treated him, he may have no choice. Monson pointed out that if Deshaun Watson gets suspended for the year, Mayfield may be thrust into the starting job, giving him one more chance to prove his viability as a starter.
“I’m sure he’d rather do anything else than play for them but if Watson ends up suspended, that’s his ticket to a second lease on a starting job somewhere,” Monson concluded.
Interestingly enough, the wider NFL world is more mixed on the idea than they might have been a few weeks ago. While some want Mayfield gone no matter what, others are warming up to the idea of giving Mayfield one season to audition for another job.
The Cleveland Browns effectively told Baker Mayfield to take a hike this offseason with their blockbuster trade for Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson.
But between Watson’s impending suspension, Mayfield’s price tag to cut and the lack of a trade market, the two sides are in a weird state of limbo.
This is without a doubt one of the most bizarre situations between a team and its player in years.
And it feels like it’s only going to get weirder from here on out…