The Browns plan to move forward with Baker Mayfield as their quarterback in 2022, according to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. There’s been talk of both sides wanting to move on, but the expectation is that Mayfield will remain under center in Cleveland. 
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This hasn’t been a banner year for Mayfield, but he was clearly hampered by his injured shoulder. Hopefully, that’ll all be in order following his surgery, scheduling for later this week. For now, he’ll be watching from a distance as the Browns wrap their season against the Bengals.
Mayfield finished tenth leaguewide in QBR last year. This season, he’s towards the backend of the list, but the Browns believe there will be better days ahead. As it stands, they have Mayfield under contract for one more season, thanks to his fully-guaranteed $18.9MM fifth-year option. As expected, they’ll table extension talks until sometime in the future, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com tweets.
Mayfield, 27 in April, will finish with a 60.5% completion rate, 3,010 passing yards and 17 touchdowns against 13 interceptions this year. That’s a dramatic step back from his 2020 stats — 3,563 yards, 26 TDs, and eight INTs with a 62.8% success rate.
He should have just had the season ending surgery after the second game. Just wasn’t remotely the same QB with that bum shoulder. Luckily it’s terrible draft for QB and there likely won’t be a FA one out there worth a darn and the cost of Wilson/Watson will be too high for Cleveland. By default, they’ll give him one more year, which is the right move.
Exactly. I mean, what else should the Browns do? Roll with Keenum? Try to convince Wilson or Rodgers to come to CLE (good luck)? There isn’t a decision to be made. But Baker and Stafanski both have to compromise and improve.
Browns are 2-0 with Keenum. Perhaps they should stick with him.
They shouldn’t bank on Keenum, but if Baker doesn’t take that next step next year, they shouldn’t be afraid to turn to Keenum either.
Forreal even a subpar baker is better than all the bum qbs Cleveland had before him
They could probably get Garopolo for a reasonable price.
I don’t understand why/how this is a story. He is signed through next year. Even if they plan on moving forward next year with Baker, it’s not like they are going to say before this season is even over that they are moving on and plan to trade him. Cleveland media always trying to make something out of nothing…
Browns won’t ever accomplish anything with Baker. They have a great o line, great RB duo, good coach and great defence. They lack in receivers but it doesn’t matter when the QB is dog water
I mean they had Jarvis and OBJ for the majority of Bakers career. That’s a pretty great duo that didn’t achieve much
Baker played good when not injured. Not his fault he got injured in the second game. Then 4 more times throughout the season
The Steelers say “good”
Baker has a lot of faults… but this year should not be primarily on him. They spent all this money on a good backup in Case Keenum, so they should have sat an obviously compromised Baker down when he first got hurt. And Stefanski’s play calling has been atrocious. Baker should never be throwing the ball 40 times a game to that mediocre set of receivers when Nick Chubb and friends should be getting a WHOLE lot more work.
Exactly. Baker gets an unfair amount of criticism for the Browns struggles. He’s not Rodgers, but you can win with him. They need to find WRs he has some chemistry with because that was never Odell, and Landry checked out.
let him play next year, prepare a contingency plan. i think he’s mediocre, but this year is a bad one to judge him on.
Agreed. He’s OK, nothing amazing. See how next year goes.
Raise your hand if you thought they would cut Mayfield and bring back Manziel and Kizer to compete for his job.
Said nobody ever
Thanks for the best laugh I’ve had today
What a mess
Keenum is 2-0 with the Browns. Start Keenum, trade Baker, draft a QB to groom / be backup. Everybody wins.
Except for the Browns. There are not many NFL talent quarterbacks coming out this year. Plus you would expect the current coaching staff to be able to coach the new quarterback when they haven’t been able to coach up anyone on their own roster. Stefanski or AVP has yet to develop a pro bowl quarterback….Rodgers already was when ABP was there
This is almost as funny as the guy that mentioned bringing back Manziel and Kizer.
Gotta give the Browns some credit? They have got some talent from the 73 first round picks they acquired in the past few years. So its not Mayfield as much and taking the next step cleaning out the old culture and fine tuning this offense to better fit him. They are as close as they have been since Kosar stood on the sidelines. Now….if Baker can focus on football as much as his commercials they may be able to get some work done.
Nothing available in the draft, thus play out the string and then let someone else overpay him.
Wonder if the Seahawks would welcome a QB swap?