Baker Mayfield is running out of time to settle into playing quarterback for a new team in 2022 while the Browns keep thinking about the money.
Cleveland, locked into a fully guaranteed contract with pricey franchise QB replacement Deshaun Watson, has lacked a sense of urgency in moving Mayfield since free agency began in March. Meanwhile, Mayfield should have little desire to remain and practice with the team when training camp opens in late July.
The Browns added journeyman Jacoby Brissett with the thought he would fill in as the starter should Watson be suspended for several games this season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. A demoted Mayfield isn’t a backup contingency plan, so what’s holding up the team from trading him to a QB-needy team?
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Here’s an update to the stalemate in Cleveland with the latest news and rumors:
How much will it cost the Browns to not trade Baker Mayfield?
The Browns are on the hook for $18.858 million whether they keep or release Mayfield. Mayfield staying on the roster creates a salary-cap hit of that amount. Mayfield being cut will make that dead money with zero cap relief.
Trading Mayfield is the Browns’ only avenue to recoup that money vs. the cap for 2022. With the contract for Watson backloaded with big cap numbers, he costs the Browns around $10 million. That means Mayfield, not Watson or All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett, still carries…
