From being drafted first to dumped in 4 years, Baker Mayfield’s wild four-year trip in Cleveland is over.
The No 1 total choose in 2018, Mayfield was traded Wednesday by the Browns, who moved on from the divisive quarterback months in the past and eventually despatched him to the Carolina Panthers for a future draft choose.
Mayfield, who was pushed out of his beginning job amid the Browns’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson, goes to Carolina for a conditional draft choose in 2024 or 2025.
The Browns are paying $10.5m of Mayfield’s $18.8m contract for subsequent season, two individuals acquainted with the negotiations advised the Related Press. The Panthers can pay $4.8m and Mayfield will take a $3.5m pay lower, mentioned the individuals, who spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity as a result of the commerce can’t be finalized till Mayfield passes a bodily.
Nonetheless, the commerce was introduced by the Panthers, who will host the Browns within the coming season’s opener – with Mayfield’s addition spicing up the matchup.
Mayfield’s time with the Browns successfully led to March when the group traded three first-round alternatives and 6 total to the Houston Texans for Watson, who's going through a potential suspension for violating the league’s private conduct coverage.
Watson has been accused of sexual misconduct by two dozen therapeutic massage therapists in Texas.
Mayfield, who performed most of final season with a left shoulder damage, felt betrayed by Cleveland’s transfer for Watson, demanded a commerce after which needed to wait till the Browns discovered a group each excited by him and keen to tackle his wage.
Browns house owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam thanked Mayfield for his contributions.
“From the second he was drafted, he gave his all for this group and this metropolis,” they mentioned. “Along with his fierce aggressive spirit, he excited the fanbase and completed issues that no participant at his place had achieved in Cleveland for a really very long time. He additionally made a distinction in the neighborhood, whether or not it was internet hosting occasions on the Boys and Ladies Membership, honoring our troops, supporting the Particular Olympics in addition to numerous different charitable endeavors.”
The 27-year-old will compete for Carolina’s beginning QB job with Sam Darnold, who was taken two picks after Mayfield in 2018.
The Panthers, who haven't made the playoffs since 2017, have been looking for stability on the quarterback place ever since head coach Matt Rhule was employed in 2020. In addition they took a run at Watson earlier than he selected Cleveland.
Mayfield’s 4 years with the Browns included fewer memorable moments than distracting ones as he couldn’t finish the group’s lengthy seek for a franchise QB.
The stint was stuffed with highs and lows, teaching adjustments, an excessive amount of drama and never almost sufficient wins.
Former Browns common supervisor John Dorsey was enamored with Mayfield’s expertise and swayed by his swagger, selecting the Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma first regardless of different choices, together with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
Mayfield started his rookie season as Tyrod Taylor’s backup earlier than coming off the bench in Week 3 and rallying the Browns to their first win in 635 days, a 21-17 victory over the New York Jets on nationwide TV.
Mayfield wound up passing for 3,725 yards and throwing 27 landing passes as a rookie, breaking the NFL file for a first-year quarterback. For the primary time in years, there was real hope for a floundering franchise that has had 32 beginning QBs since 1999.
Nonetheless, Mayfield’s second season was a serious setback. He threw almost as many interceptions (21) as touchdowns (22) and gave the impression to be on a distinct web page of the playbook than star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Cleveland went 6-10 and fired coach Freddie Kitchens.
Mayfield additionally commonly squared off with commentators criticizing his play and sparred with native reporters. His immaturity confirmed notably on social media, the place he usually posted rebukes to detractors.
The 2020 season signaled a turnaround as Mayfield led the Browns again to relevance with their first postseason look since 2003. He thrived in first-year coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense, throwing 20 TD passes and simply three interceptions in his final 12 video games.
Mayfield directed a playoff win – the Browns’ first since 1994 – over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on 10 January 2021, and got here inside minutes of getting Cleveland to the AFC championship recreation per week later earlier than dropping at Kansas Metropolis.
The resurgence triggered Tremendous Bowl predictions for the Browns within the 2021-22 season and hypothesis they might signal Mayfield to a long-term contract.
Neither got here near occurring.
After dropping the hyped season opener to the Chiefs, the sport’s final result determined when Mayfield threw a late interception, he suffered a torn left shoulder labrum the next week whereas attempting to make a sort out.
The damage worsened when he was sacked by Arizona’s JJ Watt just a few weeks later, and Mayfield by no means discovered his rhythm the remainder of the season. Beckham compelled his means off the roster and the Browns stumbled to a 8-9 end and missed the playoffs.
Mayfield additionally raised eyebrows by publicly questioning Stefanski’s play-calling.
Mayfield sat out the finale and had surgical procedure quickly after. Browns common supervisor Andrew Berry mentioned he anticipated Mayfield to bounce again because the group’s starter in 2022, however all the pieces modified with the pursuit of Watson.
In current weeks, as Watson’s authorized entanglement dragged on, there had been hypothesis the Browns might flip to Mayfield. However the quarterback just lately mentioned he didn’t suppose a reconciliation was potential.
They have been achieved with him way back.
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