Report: Baker Mayfield Could be Cut by the Browns

Since they held off on trading Baker Mayfield until after they had acquired Deshaun Watson, it is looking likely that the Cleveland Browns may have to cut their former No. 1 overall pick, according to a report by Pro Football Talk.

By failing to trade Baker Mayfield before trading for Deshaun Watson, the Browns may end up having to cut Mayfield — and then watch him make a beeline for Pittsburgh. https://t.co/sBfAgoI9xG

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 25, 2022

The trade market for Mayfield is quiet, mainly because most teams have already found their next quarterback. The Browns landed Watson, while the Pittsburgh Steelers (Mitch Trubisky), Indianapolis Colts (Matt Ryan), Washington Commanders (Carson Wentz), Atlanta Falcons (Marcus Mariota) and the Denver Broncos (Russell Wilson) all also acquired quarterbacks to fill their holes. 

Other teams that were thought to might be in the mix for a new quarterback such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans, and Philadelphia Eagles have all retained and committed to their starters from last season.

Really, the only teams left with a question mark at the quarterback position are the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions. The Lions though are still locked in with Jared Goff’s contract and are more likely to draft and develop a quarterback than acquire one. The Panthers were close to acquiring Watson, but are unlikely to be interested in a trade for Mayfeild since they are already paying Sam Darnold the same amount of money that they would be paying Mayfeild.

That leaves the Falcons and Seahawks. The former was also heavily involved in Watson, but after trading Ryan to the Colts they may be looking to start a rebuild. The Seahawks acquired former first round pick Drew Lock in the return from the Broncos for Wilson, but Lock’s future as a franchise quarterback is far from certain, if there even is one at all.

It’s why it’s been a week since the Browns acquired Watson and have yet to trade Mayfield. Earlier in the off-season, when many of the above-mentioned teams had major questions at the position, a market might’ve materialized, but now it is difficult to see someone acquiring him in a trade. That could lead the Browns to cut him outright, as they’ve already secured Jacoby Brissett as a backup to Watson. The move would not save the Browns any cap space, as Mayfield’s contract is fully guaranteed for the 2022 season.

According to a report by May Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Steelers could have some interesting in bringing in Mayfield if the Browns do release him, though NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport 

"I don't know if the Baker Mayfield rumors to the Steelers are wrong but it seems far fetched" ~@RapSheet#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/ixGy6WL3GH

— 🅿️at McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 25, 2022

It is hard to envision Mayfield in a Steelers’ uniform. Regardless, the Browns are likely going to have to surrender him for nothing in return.