The Browns have made substantial commitments to core offensive linemen this week, re-upping Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio on consecutive days. Entering the second half of the season, however, Baker Mayfield remains on his rookie deal.
Although Mayfield is open to extension talks taking place in-season, he and the Browns still have not engaged in substantive negotiations, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports. It is a bit unusual for a team not to lock up its franchise quarterback ahead of his fourth season, but both Mayfield and Lamar Jackson are going through their respective fourth years on rookie deals.
Mayfield has gotten off to an unremarkable start, sitting 25th in QBR and having thrown just eight touchdown passes through nine games. Passer rating is a bit friendlier here, slotting the former No. 1 overall pick 12th. Mayfield’s yards-per-attempt number (8.5) also sits well north of his career-best mark of 7.7, set in his rookie year.
It will be interesting to see if the former Heisman winner’s play picks up without Odell Beckham Jr. in the picture, as it did during the second half of last season. The Browns moved on from OBJ on Monday, after beating the Bengals 41-16 without him in Week 9. Mayfield and Beckham struggled to establish an on-field rapport throughout the latter’s Cleveland tenure.
Legitimate negotiations not commencing yet does not mean they will not this season, as the Teller and Bitonio pacts illustrate. Mayfield finishing strong would obviously put him in stronger negotiating position. The Browns have Mayfield signed through 2022, via the fully guaranteed fifth-year option ($18.9MM).
Josh Allen‘s $43MM-per-year pact and the eventual extension Jackson reaches stand to factor into the Browns’ equation, but perhaps only to some degree. Mayfield has not delivered work worthy of MVP discussions like his two 2018 draft classmates yet and leads a run-based offense. The 26-year-old passer is also attempting to play through a major shoulder injury, which could limit his ability to put up big numbers down the stretch. The search for potential middle ground will add a fascinating element to the eventual Mayfield-Browns talks.
I wonder why
Baker and his wife are rolling in cash off those insurance commercials. So they’re fine with waiting it out.
Say what you want about this guy and all QB’s are system QB’s but he had in the past put up big numbers. Cleveland needs to stop making him a “game manager” and let him be what he is and sling the ball more before someone else does and they start drafting QB’s every year looking for one to replace the guy that proved he could win.
I always love that cop out excuse. Really? The Manning’s AR, Russ, Bradshaw, Aikman, Montana et al. Who didn’t play in a system?
SF drafted Alex Smith 1st overall. He spent his entire college career in shotgun. Naturally The 9’ers made him play under center. But that’s the QB’s fault right?
How about checking out the numbers. Mayfield has only thrown the ball 225 times this year in 8 starts. Most of the other starting quarterbacks are near or over 300 attempts. Brady is at 343. Mayfield is playing in a run first system. I honestly think Mayfield could put up big numbers, he did his rookie year with a rookie record for TD’s. Very easy to do the math and see that Mayfield is a capable if not a great quarterback if given the opportunity to throw 40 times a game. He’s not going to get 40 million because he won’t have the numbers but according to the QBR,he’s rated higher than Allen and Jackson right now
If Baker could put up big numbers, then the coaching staff didn’t realize his talent. That’s on them & the entire franchise.
So do you take rushes away from Chubb and Hunt? This is Stefanski’s style of offense. If you have a great OL and great backs with a pretty good defense why not use that? Mayfield is very capable of moving the team
The guy broke the rookie TD passing record in less games for f+*% sake before he was deemed “game manager”
I think most people come in here and regurgitate their favorite sports analysts talking points they only have to have a different perspective and stay relevant.
Overrated
Pay the man, nobody better that’s available.
breaking news: there isnt news
He’s on a run first team with a cancer WR they finally just got rid of and none of the other WRs better than a WR3 and you wonder why his stats aren’t the best?
Good luck finding someone better via FA or the draft in 22 if you get rid of him Cleveland.
The question is not whether Mayfield is worth something, the question is how much is Mayfield worth. I’d be inclined to pay him around $25 million but Kirk Cousins who never wins anything is north of $30 million.
When Baker doesn’t try to win games by himself, he does just fine. They are putting together a real contender in Cleveland and it would be smart for them to keep Baker around as they do, since there aren’t now and aren’t going to be better options available anytime soon.
He is too short and too injury prone. Very average passer as well. What is there to like ? Any QB that is on a team that can run the ball will put up decent numbers.
This article is about Mayfield and not Russell Wilson
They said the same s*^% about Doug Flutie.
Cleveland and Baltimore are watching what is playing out in Buffalo and Kansas City. And what happened in Philadelphia and with the LA Rams.
Bill Jasper you mean watching the Chiefs Super Bowl Parade? The Bills at being in The playoffs every year? Yes as fans of those teams I would imagine they would rather have all that $$$ sitting around in the owners safe than having a chance to win. What a STUPID comment
We’ll have to see if he turns it on in the 2nd half, the way he’s playing at the moment I’m not sure he’s living up to the $18.9M he’s scheduled to make next year.
He has a higher QBR than Allen and Jackson. He’s the 12th rated QB in the league. People act like he’s trash. In his last 17 games he’s thrown 24 TD’s and 4 interceptions
Give Keenum the starting job. Good guy and only makes $6MM. Imagine all the players you could have by going with Keenum and not paying Baker.