Baker Mayfield’s time in Cleveland didn’t end the way that many believed it would if you had gone two years back from his departure.
At one time, Mayfield took the city of Cleveland by storm and was a fan favorite. He helped the Browns win their first playoff game since being back in Northeast Ohio in 2020.
Still, after four seasons, Mayfield did not look the least of a franchise quarterback so the Browns took a big swing at the position by trading for Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.
What if it worked out differently? What if the Browns never made the trade and Mayfield was still in Cleveland? Pro Bowl right guard Wyatt Teller believes there is an alternate outcome that was possible.
"I think Baker has matured enough to where he would even say this," said Teller in an interview with Tyler Dunne of Go Long. "I truly believe when they were talking to Deshaun, if Baker just said, 'Hey man, it’s going to be OK. I have one more year on my deal. Everything’s going to be OK,’ and just played, I truly believe he still would’ve been the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. I don’t how every conversation went, I have no idea. But I’m just saying, he was beloved in Cleveland by the ownership, by the team, by the coaches, by the players, everybody. By the fans. So, I think that he should have let calmer heads prevail."
Mayfield was the former No. 1 overall pick by the Browns back in 2018. He started 60 games for them over four seasons and threw 92 touchdowns to 56 interceptions during that time. Mayfield’s best season came in 2020 when he had 26 touchdowns with just eight interceptions. Things fell apart the next season and Mayfield played injured much of the season, a choice that he likely regretted for some time.
Things have worked out for Mayfield since, but there is still the possibility that he is in Cleveland if things went differently. After landing with the Carolina Panthers and being cut, Mayfield began to find his footing with the Los Angeles Rams for a few games in 2022. In 2023, Mayfield was able to play well enough with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to receive a contract extension. Last season, Mayfield had 28 touchdowns to 10 interceptions while completing a career-high 64 percent of his passes. The 4,044 yards that Mayfield threw for was a career-high as well.
For the Browns and Watson, things can still work out after playing just 12 games with Cleveland in his first two seasons with the team. It is all about the third season, where Watson is healthy the Browns need to see it come together. If it doesn’t, everyone will be looking to the time that the Browns can get out from under the current contract that Watson has.
Still, it is interesting to hear a current Browns player talk about what he believes is a different pathway that could have been taken for Mayfield to still be in Cleveland.
