The breakup between Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns was not a pretty one and the former No. 1 overall pick admits he could have done a few things differently.
The Browns selected Mayfield in 2018, and for a bit, it looked like he could be the face of the franchise in Cleveland. He reeled off a stellar rookie year and helped lead the Browns to the postseason and a playoff victory during the 2020 season.
However, playing through a shoulder injury in 2021 derailed his career in Cleveland, leading to the Browns making a blockbuster move for Deshaun Watson the following offseason.
During a recent appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Mayfield admitted that he should have got surgery and sat out rather than playing through the pain.
“The last year in Cleveland, as banged up as I was… Should I have probably gotten surgery and sat out? Yeah, probably,” Mayfield said. “But I wouldn’t change it. It got me to this point and I learned a lot of lessons about, quite honestly, how damn stubborn I am.”
“So many things and factors. And like I said, hindsight is 20-20, but, you know, stubborn [expletive].”
Baker Mayfield Found Home With Buccaneers
Mayfield has landed on his feet, but the route hasn’t been easy. After acquiring Watson, the Browns sent him to the Carolina Panthers. But he lost his starting spot in Carolina, and the Panthers later decided to release him.
Mayfield had a solid stint with the Los Angeles Rams to close out the 2022 season, which likely saved his career or at least the opportunity to compete for a starting role again.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a shot on Mayfield during the 2023 offseason, signing him to a one-year, $4 million contract. He won the starting role in camp and never looked back.
Mayfield passed for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He posted a quarterback rating of 94.6 and helped Tampa Bay capture a postseason win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bucs signed Mayfield to a three-year, $100 million deal in March. It could be worth up to $115 million with incentives.
Browns Need QB Deshaun Watson to Step Up
The Browns hoped the trade for Watson would give them a consistent Pro Bowl performer at the quarterback position. Cleveland gave up a trio of first-round picks to land him and handed him a $230 million fully guaranteed contract.
So far, Watson has failed to live up to expectations with the Browns. He has played in 12 games with mixed results. He’s passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
Despite his struggles, the Browns are confident Watson can turn things around.
“We feel good about Deshaun,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said in January. “I think the biggest thing is just him staying on the field, keeping (him) on the field. Each year, we really do try and do as much self-assessment as possible on every area of the operation. So in good years and bad years, (we) will probably always tinker somewhere to some degree with what we think is best. But in terms of just Deshaun in particular, we’re excited. We just want to make sure he’s healthy.”
Watson carries a record cap hit of $63.9 million this coming season.
