Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield Not Expected To Miss Time

November 17th, 2021 at 1:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Already battling a fractured shoulder, Baker Mayfield left Sunday’s game in New England with a knee injury. The Browns are not likely to need another Case Keenum fill-in start, however.

Neither Mayfield nor Kevin Stefanski expect a second missed start, though the fourth-year quarterback said (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, on Twitter) this is probably the most beat up he has been in his football career. Mayfield is not practicing Wednesday.

Mayfield escaped his latest injury without structural damage, suffering a knee contusion in the Browns’ loss to the Patriots. Mayfield’s shoulder issue did require one missed game, a narrow Week 7 win over the Broncos, but he has otherwise played through that issue — one that will almost certainly require offseason surgery. The Browns face the 0-8-1 Lions in Week 11.

As for Mayfield’s backfield, Nick Chubb remains on the Browns’ reserve/COVID-19 list. The Pro Bowl back is vaccinated and can return by submitting negative tests two days apart. Stefanski added Kareem Hunt will not return in Week 11, despite being eligible to do so. The fifth-year back has missed four games with his calf injury but is moving closer to returning. Demetric Felton also remains on Cleveland’s COVID list. The Browns activated running back John Kelly from their virus list.

The Browns have played without both Chubb and Hunt twice this season. D’Ernest Johnson was the last man standing in both games, and the ex-Alliance of American Football performer would start against the Lions if Chubb is not activated by Saturday afternoon. In his third Browns season, Johnson is averaging 5.3 yards per carry.

Browns Eyeing 2022 Denzel Ward Extension

November 17th, 2021 at 11:30am CST by Sam Robinson

While the Browns opening substantive extension talks with Baker Mayfield before year’s end remains in play, they are not rushing the process with their 2018 first-round picks. Neither Mayfield nor Denzel Ward are signed long-term, despite the latter having begun talks this summer.

But the Browns are planning to extend Ward, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes, who adds the team does not view this as an urgent matter. This points to a Ward deal being likelier in 2022 than by season’s end. Ward is signed through 2022, with the Browns having picked up his $13.3MM fifth-year option in May.

The Browns were discussing a Ward deal in August, but they understandably opted to lock down contract-year starters Nick Chubb and Wyatt Teller first. Cleveland extended Joel Bitonio as well last week, moving to reward its Pro Bowl guard after taking care of his younger O-line mate. Ward and Mayfield represent the next dominoes here. It is certainly not uncommon for teams to slow-play extensions for non-quarterback first-round picks. Of the 2018 first-rounders, only Josh Allen has signed an extension.

A Cleveland-area native, Ward has become one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks. He leads a Browns corner corps that features another first-round pick (Greg Newsome), an ex-second-rounder (Greedy Williams) and free agent acquisition Troy Hill. Pro Football Focus ranks Ward as the No. 5 overall corner through Week 10. The Ohio State product has run into injury trouble throughout his career. Ward has missed 12 career games, due to injuries and COVID-19, though he has been on the field for nine of Cleveland’s 10 contests this season.

Ward, 24, has displayed steadier work than Mayfield and has a clear path toward a top-market contract. Ex-Ward Ohio State teammate Marshon Lattimore becoming the third $19MM-per-year corner provides a better marker for the younger ex-Buckeye’s eventual extension. Lattimore, Marlon Humphrey and Jalen Ramsey have moved the bar past $19MM over the past year and change, helping this position break through after its market did not move much for several years.

Browns, Baker Mayfield Yet To Begin Serious Extension Talks

November 11th, 2021 at 12:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Latest On Browns’ OBJ Agreement

November 6th, 2021 at 6:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a turbulent week, the Browns and Odell Beckham Jr. agreed to separate. The disgruntled wide receiver is not set to be waived until Monday, but he did not practice this week and is effectively done as a member of the Browns. It took some negotiating to complete this transaction.

A Friday agreement paved the way to the sides’ impending divorce, and some interesting details surfaced regarding Beckham’s status Saturday. While the Browns tweaked Beckham’s deal to make him a 2022 free agent (instead of a 2024 UFA, which the wideout’s Giants-constructed contract previously called for), his salary if he is claimed on waivers would go unchanged. A team that is awarded Beckham on waivers would be hit with the receiver’s $7.25MM in remaining salary. Beyond that, Cleveland made more changes.

If no one claims Beckham, the Browns will only be on the hook for $4.25MM of that salary, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Browns converted some of Beckham’s salary into a roster bonus, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. The NFLPA signed off on Cleveland’s restructure, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets.

The bonus would be another team’s responsibility if it claims OBJ, increasing the likelihood he will go unclaimed Tuesday. Claims are due by 3pm CT Tuesday. Beckham will lose out on that $3MM bonus if no team claims him, further illustrating his desire to hit free agency. The Browns trimming years off the contract and using a roster bonus stands to help OBJ while saving the team some cash.

The Browns could have converted much of Beckham’s salary to a signing bonus, reducing the base to the point it would increase the likelihood a team claims him. This ran the risk of Beckham being claimed by a team near the top of the waiver priority list, a scenario the scuffling wideout almost certainly wants to avoid. The nature of this restructure also increases the chances Beckham will end up with a contender of his choosing.

AFC teams like the Chiefs, Patriots or Raiders could show interest, but NFC squads are also preparing to pursue him. The 49ers, Saints and Seahawks are expected to show interest in Beckham, in the likely event he hits free agency Tuesday afternoon. The Raiders also appear to prefer DeSean Jackson to Beckham. The Saints made a series of calls on receivers — Beckham and Darius Slayton among them — at the deadline, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. New Orleans’ lack of a proven quarterback figures to hurt its chances, however. Beckham was also intrigued by the 49ers a while back, Fowler adds. The 49ers were linked to Beckham via trade before the Browns acquired him in 2019.

OBJ has pocketed a considerable amount of cash over the course of his career, but he turned 29 this week and has seen his value crater in Cleveland. The former Giants Pro Bowler has been unable to consistently show that form with the Browns, with injuries and a limited rapport with Baker Mayfield impacting this decline. None of OBJ’s issues in Cleveland stemmed from off-field matters, according to ESPN.com’s Jake Trotter, who adds Beckham and Mayfield were not at odds off the field. But on it, the two failed to click for most of the three-time Pro Bowler’s three-year Cleveland stay.

Browns’ Baker Mayfield On Odell Beckham Jr.

November 3rd, 2021 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Everyone in the Browns locker room wants to see Odell Beckham Jr. succeed, according to Baker Mayfield (Twitter link via Kimberley A. Martin of ESPN.com). The quarterback wants to iron out the ongoing rift between him and OBJ, though he says he’s keeping his focus on the field.

“Yeah i think any conversation would go a long way,” Mayfield said (Twitter links) “[As for a] resolution? I don’t know about that right now. [But], if he’s back, we’ll work through it and I can put my ego and pride aside to win.”

OBJ’s camp stirred the pot on Tuesday with a pair of viral posts on social media. First, Beckham’s father posted a highlight reel of miscommunications between his son and Mayfield. Then, LeBron James chimed in, seemingly urging the Browns to trade his friend before the deadline. One day later, Beckham is still in Cleveland, though he’s absent from practice with a “personal matter”.

Mayfield isn’t sure when he’ll touch base with Beckham, but Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry chatted with his agent earlier today. Beckham has no remaining guarantees on his contract, so the Browns could cut him in early 2022 with zero cap penalty. But, if the situation can’t be salvaged, they could consider releasing him right now. With the trade deadline in the rear view mirror, that would put one of the game’s most gifted talents on the waiver wire, available for all 31 teams.

Browns Likely To Be Quiet At Trade Deadline

October 31st, 2021 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Parks

The Browns, currently sitting at 4-3 and in third place in the AFC North, are not expected to swing a major deal in advance of Tuesday’s trade deadline, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Cabot does not anticipate the club acquiring a high-profile talent or trading one away.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham became the subject of trade speculation even before his first season in Cleveland was over, and those rumors have continued to crop up ever since. The Browns have done their best to quash all such rumblings, and Beckham will likely stay put at least through the end of the 2021 campaign. After all, he is dealing with a painful sprain in his right shoulder, and he is still owed $9MM over the rest of the season, so even if Cleveland were interesting in making a trade, there are obvious hurdles.

Plus, the Browns have every reason to keep Beckham around. Although he and QB Baker Mayfield have yet to develop a consistent rapport, OBJ continues to get open and remains an elite talent, so it would be surprising to see a Cleveland outfit that has postseason aspirations make that type of trade.

The same logic applies to tight ends David Njoku and Austin Hooper. Neither player has offered much production in 2021 — aside from a monster Week 5 game for Njoku that accounted for over half of his 2021 receiving yards and his only touchdown — but the hope is that the passing game will improve as the season goes on, just as it did last year. Njoku is playing on an expiring contract and requested a trade on several occasions last summer, but his most recent comments on the matter suggested that he would like to remain in Cleveland, and Cabot expects both him and Hooper to still be Browns once the deadline has passed.

Speaking of Mayfield, Cabot says the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 draft will likely require offseason surgery on his injured shoulder. His injury has complicated extension talks, and now, if an extension is reached, it probably won’t happen until after the season. Mayfield is under club control through 2022 via the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, which the Browns exercised earlier this year.

In related news, Cleveland does have starting RT Jack Conklin back in action for today’s critical matchup with the Steelers. Conklin had missed the prior two games with a knee injury.

Browns QB Baker Mayfield Dealing With Fractured Shoulder Bone

October 24th, 2021 at 7:37am CST by Ben Levine

Oct. 24: According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, swelling in Mayfield’s shoulder has made it impossible for the fourth-year passer to sufficiently rehab the injury. He is in danger of missing the club’s Week 8 matchup against the Steelers, and because a harness alone may not prevent further damage if Mayfield is hit from behind and unable to adequately protect himself, he could be sidelined even longer than that.

Keenum — who navigated the team to a 17-14 victory over the Broncos on Thursday night — will obviously continue to get the nod in Mayfield’s absence.

Oct. 21: Baker Mayfield‘s shoulder injury sounds like it’s more serious than initially thought. Jay Glazer of FOX reports (via Twitter) that the Browns quarterback fractured the humerus bone in his shoulder.

While it’s uncertain when Mayfield suffered the injury, it occurred when his shoulder popped out of its socket, which vicariously caused the fracture. The quarterback suffered a shoulder injury back in mid-September, but he reportedly aggravated the injury during the Browns’ loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. The fracture is limiting Mayfield’s rotator cuff, per Glazer, and that led to the QB being inactive for tonight’s game against the Broncos.

“I need that fracture to heal for me to get back out there,” Mayfield told Glazer (Twitter link). The QB is still hoping that his return will come next weekend, but that will depend on how quickly the fracture heals.

After being listed as inactive tonight, Mayfield will officially miss his first game since taking over as the Browns starting quarterback in 2018. The QB had started each of Cleveland’s first six games this season, completed 67.1-percent of his passes for 1,474 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions.

The Browns have backup Case Keenum under center in Mayfield’s stead, and the veteran will likely continue starting as long as Mayfield is out of the lineup.

QB Case Keenum To Start For Browns Tomorrow

October 20th, 2021 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

Baker Mayfield will officially miss his first game since taking over as the Browns starting quarterback in 2018. The Browns announced that they’ll be without their starting QB tomorrow against the Broncos. Cleveland will have backup Case Keenum under center.

Keenum will have a chance to start against his former team, as the veteran started all 16 games for Denver back in 2018. He went 1-7 in eight starts with Washington in 2019, but he still got a three-year, $18MM deal from the Browns in 2020. In one-plus seasons with the team, the 33-year-old has seen time in four games, completing six of his 13 pass attempts for 52 yards.

“We have full confidence in him to lead us and do the things necessary to put us in position to win,” coach Kevin Stefanski said of Keenum. “Baker fought really hard to play, he’s a competitor and obviously wants to be out there but just couldn’t make it on a short week. We know he will continue to do everything in his power to return as quickly as possible.”

Mayfield suffered a shoulder injury back in mid-September, but he’s continued to play through the injury. He aggravated the injury during the Browns’ loss to the Cardinals on Sunday, and ESPN’s Jake Trotter writes that Mayfield was advised not to play by both team doctors and his own personal doctor.

Earlier this week, Mayfield clarified that he wouldn’t see the field if he ever thought he’d be hurting his team’s chances.

“Only I know how my body feels,” Mayfield said (via Trotter). “If anyone questions whether I am hindering the team and going out there injured, that’s just not right. It’s my decision. I get to say whether I am able to play or not, and that’s just how it is.”

QB Baker Mayfield, Browns Haven’t Had “Substantive Extension Talks”

September 8th, 2021 at 8:01pm CST by Ben Levine

The Browns’ season opener is only days away, but it doesn’t sound like the organization is any closer to extending Baker Mayfield. Cleveland’s front office and Mayfield’s reps still haven’t engaged in “substantive extension talks,” per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

This isn’t a huge surprise, as Cabot notes that “this has been the plan all along” and both sides are “cool” with the timing. On the flip side, it’s a bit surprising that the two sides haven’t at least swapped different variations of an extension. It was assumed that the two sides would be able to proceed on negotiations after Josh Allen inked his new deal with the Bills, but there haven’t been any developments in Cleveland since early August.

From Mayfield’s perspective, it makes some sense to wait on a new deal. After all, the former first-overall pick is already locked into his $18.85MM salary for 2022. If Mayfield takes another step this upcoming season, he could command a new contract that pays north of $40MM per season. His track record probably doesn’t warrant that demand at the moment.

The former No. 1 overall pick finished second in the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting but regressed in 2019. After the Oklahoma product bounced back in 2020, the Browns may be willing to see if he can keep that momentum going to start this season before committing. For what it’s worth, Mayfield recently made it clear that he didn’t mind negotiating during the upcoming season, so one of the sides could end up blinking in the upcoming weeks.

Baker Mayfield Fine With Negotiations Continuing Into Season

August 8th, 2021 at 10:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Josh Allen became the 2018 class’ first contract domino to fall, signing a monster extension with the Bills. This provides a clearer road map for Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield.

While Jackson and Allen have thus far ascended to high higher peaks than Mayfield, who has yet to secure his first Pro Bowl invite, the Bills’ extension decision stands to help his cause. Browns GM Andrew Berry attempted to downplay the impact Allen’s $43MM-per-year extension will have on Mayfield talks, though the Bills quarterback’s deal will certainly factor into the Browns’ equation.

The Browns could wait, but Allen provides yet another example of teams locking in QBs ahead of their fourth seasons. Dak Prescott represents the outlier here from recent years, and the Cowboys did not exactly benefit from their wait. The NFL now having a third $40MM-per-year player, with Allen joining Prescott and Patrick Mahomes, stands to benefit other passers.

“I’m worried about winning. I think the rest will take care of itself,” Mayfield said, via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich, on Allen’s contract’s potential effect on his situation. “It’s good for the quarterback position overall. I’d be lying if we said otherwise, but I’m worried about winning right now. I don’t know the timeline on it. We haven’t talked about it because I’m worried about winning this season.”

Since the 2016 draft class became eligible for new deals in 2019, six QBs have signed big-ticket extensions. Five of those — Mahomes, Allen, Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz and Jared Goff — agreed to terms in the summer before their fourth seasons. Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill did the same from the 2012 class. Extending Nick Chubb and discussing a deal with Denzel Ward, the Browns are taking care of their other core pieces ahead of what could be a tricky negotiation with Mayfield.

The former No. 1 overall pick finished second in the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year voting but regressed in 2019. After the Oklahoma product bounced back in 2020, the Browns may be willing to see if he can keep that momentum going to start this season before committing. Mayfield does not plan to set a hard deadline on negotiations this year.

“I’m not doing the negotiations, so quite frankly, I don’t give a damn,” Mayfield said on negotiating in-season. “I’m worried about winning Week 1 and going onto Week 2 and focusing on that week one week at a time. That’s my mindset, so no matter how many times I get asked this question throughout the year, it’s going to be the same answer because that’s just the truth.”

With Allen’s deal done, the focus will shift to Mayfield and the self-represented Jackson. Mayfield should be expected to join the $40MM-AAV club, Ulrich estimates. The former Heisman winner’s uneven start to his career injects intrigue into this situation, as does the Browns’ near-20-year struggle finding a quarterback between their relaunch and Mayfield’s arrival. Mayfield is signed through 2022 and set to make just $920K in base salary this year.

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