It was not long ago that anyone who suggested the Cleveland Browns might trade star edge rusher Myles Garrett before the start of this season would be accused of dabbling in looney conspiracy theories. And yet, the Browns did just that last week, sending Garrett to the Rams. After that, anything seems possible in Northeast Ohio … maybe even a Baker Mayfield reunion?
The logic is there. The path is there. And if it were anyone besides Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick of the Browns in 2018 who nudged his way out of town four years later amid questions about his maturity and leadership, it might already be a focal point.
The Browns reset the franchise with the Garrett trade, but in doing so, cleared up considerable money off the team’s books, in the wake of having added a raft of young talent in the past two seasons. The assumption is that the Browns will look to the 2027 NFL draft to find a new quarterback, but what if the team as constructed plays well enough to win, say, eight games?
What if the Browns decide they’re close to being very competitive and rather than gamble on an untested player in his early 20s, they decide to play the free-agent quarterback market instead? There’s a chance that the top name on that market will be a familiar one: Baker Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield at Odds Over Contract
For those not caught up on the state of play with the former Browns star, Mayfield and his current team, the Buccaneers, are not making progress on a new contract. He is in the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract with Tampa, and though that’s obviously a hefty payout, it’s relative peanuts compared to the rest of the quarterback market.
Mayfield spoke out about the situation on Monday, saying that the team has until the start of training camp next month to give him an acceptable, new, long-term deal. If no deal is reached, Mayfield will be on track to hit free agency in 2027.
As he said: “Not anywhere close to what we were thinking. So, would love to be here long-term but as of right now, that is not exactly the case. But I am under contract for 2026 and the guys in that locker room and the staff know that I am still me, I am still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. … It’s not up to me when that gets done by.”
Browns Could Go for Free-Agent QB
Again, it is not hard to imagine a situation in which the Browns are shown to have hit on their draft picks from this year, get good growth from last year’s picks and get a decent year from Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson. Maybe instead of using all their upcoming draft capital to consolidate in a quarterback, Cleveland decides to continue to stockpile players, and uses free-agent to find its quarterback.
Namely, Mayfield.
Alas, Daryl Ruiter of radio station 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland, rained on that parade pretty quickly. The Browns tried to bring Mayfield along during his immature early years, Ruiter said, and even if he has grown up since, they’re not about to forgive and forget.
Browns Do Not Want Baker Mayfield Back
As he said:” I don’t think the Browns would want him back. I think they’ve had enough of the Baker Mayfield experience. That’s why he’s not here. …
“I get it, he wants his market value and the pay scale for quarterbacks is what the pay scale for quarterback is. But I just don’t think that the Browns enjoyed their first Baker Mayfield experience, and I don’t know that they want to go that path again. It was not enjoyable for a lot of folks that tried to help him out while he was here. They tried to help him mature. So, these are the facts.”
On to the 2027 draft, then, it seems.
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