Deshaun Watson’s Decision Swayed Jadeveon Clowney’s Free Agency Choice
The Browns acquiring Deshaun Watson via trade has become one of the most controversial moves in modern NFL history. The talented quarterback’s off-field issues have intensified since he chose Cleveland as his trade destination, but that choice did go a long way toward bringing Myles Garrett‘s 2021 edge-rushing sidekick back.
Jadeveon Clowney said Thursday that Watson’s decision made a significant impact on his own, indicating (via 92.3 The Fan’s Anthony Lima; video link) he would probably have joined the Falcons had Watson selected Atlanta as his next team. Prior to Clowney’s team-hopping run of recent years, he and Watson were Texans teammates from 2017-18.
Clowney and Watson spoke during the QB’s four-team trade sweepstakes, and Jake Trotter of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) Clowney gave Cleveland a strong endorsement. While the $230MM guaranteed the Browns came back to the table with provided the clincher for the embattled passer, Clowney offering Browns praise provides some breadcrumbs ahead of the defensive end’s own decision.
“We stayed in touch through that whole thing about coming here,” Clowney said, via Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. “If he come, then I come. I told him if he goes, I’ll follow him up here. I’ll go back. That’s what it came down to.”
A late-March report indicated Watson spoke with Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette about potentially playing together with the Falcons. Browns GM Andrew Berry‘s idea to fully guarantee Watson’s contract changed those plans, and the Falcons — who traded Matt Ryan shortly after Watson was dealt to the Browns — have shifted toward a full-scale rebuild.
Cleveland re-signed Clowney on a one-year, $10MM deal that features $9.25MM fully guaranteed. Garrett lobbied extensively to bring Clowney back. That stands to help the Browns’ defense, though the one-year commitment is interesting in this case. While Clowney’s injury history has damaged his hopes of scoring a long-term deal, Watson factoring into his free agency choice this year may provide a letdown. With the sixth-year veteran QB facing 24 civil lawsuits and counting, a lengthy suspension is expected. This Browns season stands to feature an extensive stretch in which Watson is away from the team, leading to Jacoby Brissett being favored to take many of the team’s snaps this year.
Watson potentially being ticketed to play a full season in 2023 could again influence Clowney’s next commitment. The injury-prone former No. 1 overall pick played 14 games last season, recording nine sacks. Another healthy season would increase Clowney’s market value in 2023, should he not sign a Browns extension before the next league year begins.
Browns, Panthers Remain In Discussions On Baker Mayfield
As the Browns and Panthers’ salary viewpoints diverged considerably during the draft, the teams’ Baker Mayfield talks broke down. Carolina traded into the third round for Matt Corral. Matt Rhule is warming up to the idea a Corral-Sam Darnold competition will be enough for this year’s Panthers edition, Joe Person of The Athletic notes (subscription required).
But Mayfield is still generating support from some inside the NFC South squad’s building, Person adds. This has reached the point where the Panthers have resumed discussions with the Browns on a trade for the fifth-year quarterback, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports tweets.
Both teams begin minicamp Tuesday. Rhule said last week the Panthers would evaluate their quarterback position after minicamp but indicated a free agent at any position would not need to be acquired too long before training camp to pick up new OC Ben McAdoo‘s system. Days later, some semblance of urgency exists on the Panthers’ side on the Mayfield front, Jones adds (via Twitter). This stance would make sense, with Mayfield having a better chance to bounce back in Carolina with additional time to learn McAdoo’s offense ahead of training camp.
The Panthers having checked in on Russell Wilson and aggressively pursued Deshaun Watson — a year after making a strong offer for Matthew Stafford — makes the prospect of running it back with Darnold (31st in 2021 QBR) tough to buy. But Rhule has bolted on the team’s previous starter (Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater) in each of his first two offseasons. And the team did make upgrades along its offensive line, which would stand to aid Darnold in his second Panthers slate. But, through four seasons, Mayfield has been a far more viable starter than Darnold. For a coach on one of the NFL’s hottest seats, adding a quarterback at a much cheaper cost than it took to land Bridgewater or Darnold would seemingly check out.
The Browns have waited for the Panthers’ Darnold-Corral competition to induce them to return to the Mayfield table, but money still divides the teams sitting first and second in cap space. During the draft, the Browns were barely prepared to pay $3MM of Mayfield’s $18.9MM fully guaranteed salary. The Panthers wanted them to pick up at least $13MM. Cleveland appears to have moved closer to the latter figure, and the more the AFC North team pays, the better the draft compensation would be. Still, Carolina should not be expected to give up much for Mayfield.
The Browns would be stuck with nearly the full salary if they release Mayfield, which has long been a non-starter. The Seahawks have been monitoring this situation for months, but lately, the only Seattle-Mayfield connections pertain to a potential release. The latest reports of Panthers-Browns talks could motivate the Seahawks — amid a Geno Smith–Drew Lock QB competition — to reconsider their trade stance. For now, Carolina remains the frontrunner for Mayfield.
Latest On D’Ernest Johnson’s Browns Deal
A little over a week ago, the Browns reached an agreement to re-sign running back D’Ernest Johnson to a one-year deal. Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed reported some details on the contract. 
Johnson’s deal is billed as a one-year, $2.43MM contract. The deal will have a base salary of $1.07MM with a guaranteed amount of $729,125 and a signing bonus of $151,500. It is unclear from Kyed’s breakdown if the reported guaranteed amount includes the signing bonus or if it is an additional guaranteed portion of the base salary.
Johnson will also have the ability to increase the maximum value of the contract through a number of performance-based incentives. He can earn an additional $450K if he reaches 545 rushing yards and can up that bonus to $608,250 if he can get to 670 rushing yards. Likewise, Johnson can earn an additional $450K if he reaches 700 total yards from scrimmage and can increase that bonus to $608,250 if he can total 835 yards from scrimmage. The achievement of earning any of these incentive bonuses would represent career-highs in either category for Johnson.
The Browns had placed a $2.43MM restricted free agent tender on Johnson in March. The base salary ($1.07MM), the signing bonus ($151,500), and the two maximum incentive bonuses ($608,250 each) make up that $2.43MM amount.
Poll: Which AFC Team Had Best Offseason?
Due to a flurry of additions, the 2022 AFC presents a crowded competition for playoff and Super Bowl LVII access. Some of the top-tier teams addressed key weaknesses, and several middle-class squads took big swings in respective aims to improve their chances this season.
The fallout paints a picture in which barely any AFCers can be truly counted out for playoff contention. Future Hall of Famers, potential Canton inductees, and Pro Bowlers moving from the NFC — along with various intra-AFC changes — have made for one of the most captivating offseasons in modern NFL annals. While the offseason is not yet complete, most of the acquisition dominoes ahead of training camp have fallen. Which team did the best work?
With Russell Wilson joining the Broncos, the AFC West’s Wilson-Patrick Mahomes–Derek Carr–Justin Herbert quartet appears of the great quarterback armadas any division has fielded in the five-plus-decade divisional era. The Broncos gave up two first-round selections in a five-pick deal but were able to hang onto their young receivers. Denver, which moved to a younger coaching staff headed by first-time HC Nathaniel Hackett and two rookie coordinators, also added defenders Randy Gregory and D.J. Jones. Going from the Teddy Bridgewater–Drew Lock combo to Wilson represents one of the top gains any team made this offseason, but Denver’s divisional competition will not make improvement easy.
Entering the final year in which Herbert must be tied to his rookie contract, the Chargers addressed several needs. They added defensive help in free agency, via J.C. Jackson and Sebastian Joseph-Day, and traded second- and sixth-round picks for Khalil Mack. The team also extended Mike Williams at $20MM per year — days before the wide receiver market dramatically shifted — and drafted right guard Zion Johnson in Round 1.
The Raiders were partially responsible for the wideout market’s explosion, trading first- and second-round picks for Davante Adams and extending him at $28MM per year. That came shortly after the team’s Chandler Jones addition. Las Vegas’ Josh McDaniels–Dave Ziegler regime has greenlit extensions for Reggie McKenzie– and Jon Gruden-era holdovers — from Carr to Maxx Crosby to Hunter Renfrow. Will a Darren Waller deal follow?
Of last season’s conference kingpins, the Chiefs and Titans endured the biggest losses. Hill and Tyrann Mathieu‘s exits will test the six-time reigning AFC West champs, while last year’s No. 1 seed balked at a monster A.J. Brown extension by trading him to the Eagles for a package headlined by a 2022 first-rounder. Both teams did address some needs early in the draft, but the Bengals and Bills look to have definitively improved their rosters.
Cincinnati augmented its bottom-tier offensive line by signing La’el Collins, Alex Cappa and Ted Karras. The defending AFC champions retained almost their entire defense, though Jessie Bates is not especially happy on the franchise tag. Buffalo reloaded as well, adding Von Miller to a defensive line that has lacked a top-end pass rusher for a while. The team swapped out ex-UDFA Levi Wallace for first-round cornerback Kaiir Elam, and James Cook is the Bills’ highest running back draftee since C.J. Spiller 12 years ago. How significant will the Brian Daboll-for-Ken Dorsey OC swap be?
Although Cincy’s AFC North competition made improvements, some caveats come with them. The Ravens filled their center and right tackle spots, with first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum and veteran Morgan Moses, and are now flush with safeties following the arrivals of Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton. But Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson situation has reached a strange stage, with the top three Ravens power brokers indicating the former MVP has not shown extension interest. Cleveland landed Amari Cooper for Day 3 draft capital and, on paper, rivaled Denver’s QB upgrade. Historic draft compensation and a shocking $230MM guarantee was required for the Browns to pull it off. But their Deshaun Watson trade has generated considerable drama — to the point the ex-Texans Pro Bowler cannot be considered a lock to play in 2022.
Oddsmakers do not expect the Jaguars’ moves to translate to 2022 contention, but the team did hire a former Super Bowl-winning coach in Doug Pederson and spend wildly for lineup upgrades — from Christian Kirk to Brandon Scherff to Foye Oluokun — and used two first-round picks (Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd) to further upgrade its defense. Going from Urban Meyer to Pederson should offer stability to a franchise that has lacked it, never more so than in 2021.
The Jets chased big-name receivers for weeks but came away with Garrett Wilson in a highly praised three-first-rounder draft. New York’s last-ranked defense now has new pieces in first-rounders Sauce Gardner and Jermaine Johnson, along with DBs Jordan Whitehead and D.J. Reed. Miami made a stunning coaching change by firing Brian Flores, which produced a tidal wave of controversy, but the now-Mike McDaniel-led team also paid up for splashy additions in Hill and Terron Armstead while retaining steady edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah.
Are there other teams that warrant mention here? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on the new-look AFC in the comments section.
Door Still Open For Panthers QB Addition
Matt Rhule praised Sam Darnold‘s work at the Panthers’ latest OTA session, and exiting the team’s offseason program, the former No. 3 overall pick remains on track to be Carolina’s starting quarterback. But Rhule said the team is keeping the door open for an addition to this rather important position group, Joe Person of The Athletic tweets.
As teams do following minicamp, the Panthers will assess their roster to determine spots where veterans would provide needed assistance. While it would seem time is running out to bring in someone like Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo and expect the newcomer to be proficient in Ben McAdoo‘s offense by September, Rhule said (via Person, on Twitter) an addition just before training camp would give a new player sufficient preparation time.
A trade or free agent signing just before camp would be asking a lot from a veteran quarterback, who would be well behind Darnold in the new offensive coordinator’s system. But the Panthers have been the only known team to enter into substantive negotiations with the Browns for Mayfield. Those talks, though, were not believed to have gone far.
A previous report indicated the Browns were willing to pay “a good chunk” of Mayfield’s fully guaranteed $18.9MM salary, but Person indicates differently, noting Cleveland was willing to pick up barely $3MM of Mayfield’s contract (subscription required). Unsurprisingly, those negotiations broke down, leading the Panthers to Matt Corral in Round 3. The Panthers are believed to want the Browns to pay at least $13MM of that money, leading to this staredown — one in which the Browns hope the Panthers balk at another Darnold season while Carolina envisions Cleveland cutting its four-year starter. Perhaps the Browns have budged a bit since the teams’ mid-draft talks, but this certainly is a sizable financial gulf. These two teams are also first and second in terms of cap space.
Various NFL staffers expect the Browns and 49ers to each cut their trade block-stationed QBs, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano, who adds a straw poll among those execs placed Mayfield as more likely to be Seattle-bound and Garoppolo to head to North Carolina. That would be understandable, with the flipside of this scenario potentially involving an intra-NFC West trade. The Seahawks are also interested in Mayfield as a free agent.
The 49ers have more of a timetable here, with Garoppolo’s $24.2MM salary nonguaranteed until the regular season starts. After that date, Garoppolo’s vested-veteran status locks in that figure, putting some pressure on San Francisco to either carry the salary or cut bait come September. Mayfield’s money is already guaranteed, giving the Browns the option hold onto him into the regular season. It will be interesting to see how the ex-Heisman winner proceeds to prevent such a scenario. Mayfield’s January surgery on his non-throwing shoulder has not been an issue for teams, per Graziano, whereas Garoppolo’s March procedure on his right shoulder hijacked the 49ers’ trade effort.
Carolina, which checked on Russell Wilson and met with Deshaun Watson, saw Darnold rank 29th in QBR last season. Though a healthier Christian McCaffrey and the improved offensive line the Panthers should have may change the fifth-year passer’s outlook, it would still seem a gamble for Rhule to tie his hot seat to Darnold for a second season.
Browns Unlikely To Bring Back Odell Beckham Jr.
The Browns have gone through internal discussions about re-signing Odell Beckham Jr., and beyond Amari Cooper, the team has an experience void at wide receiver. Through that lens, it is not surprising the team has been connected to veterans.
But Cleveland should be expected to look elsewhere, in the event its wideout need becomes too pressing to ignore. The Browns are unlikely to bring back Beckham, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Although the former Pro Bowler said months ago he was open to the idea of returning to Cleveland, his fit might be clunky. Even with OBJ’s former Browns teammates consistently offering praises, despite last year’s awkward ending to his two-plus-season-season tenure, Beckham was inconsistent in both Freddie Kitchens and Kevin Stefanski‘s offenses and battled injuries for much of his time in Ohio. Some of Beckham’s inconsistency can be blamed on Baker Mayfield, and OBJ’s camp certainly took that route upon forcing the 2021 divorce that led the marquee wideout to Los Angeles. But the Browns’ passing attack has not exactly stabilized.
Deshaun Watson is facing a lengthy suspension; the prospect of another missed season should not be dismissed. That would leave the Browns in limbo, with the team intent on trading Mayfield. And Beckham’s Super Bowl LVI ACL tear — his second such injury in 15 months — is expected to sideline him until at least midseason.
The Rams still want Beckham back. The 29-year-old standout crashed Sean McVay‘s wedding last weekend, doing so after McVay made more comments about eyeing a reunion with the eight-year veteran. Beckham’s NFC championship game and Super Bowl performances had him on track to be one of this year’s highest-paid free agents, but his second-quarter injury closed that avenue. The Rams have Allen Robinson signed to a $15MM-per-year deal, just completed their long-rumored Cooper Kupp raise ($80MM in new money) and have Day 2 picks Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell.
Robinson and Jefferson would seemingly hold down the fort until Beckham returns, should he suit up for the Rams again. But OBJ has been patient for a better offer here. Meanwhile, the Browns have third-year target Donovan Peoples-Jones primed to be Cooper’s top complementary option. Third-round rookie David Bell will be given a chance to fill in alongside that tandem.
Latest On Browns, Deshaun Watson’s Contract
In the wake of new civil lawsuits being filed against him, the matter of guaranteed compensation in Deshaun Watson‘s contract has come into question. In response to the potential uncertainty, the team remains fully committed to the beleaguered quarterback. 
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that the team is not looking to void his contract – a fully-guaranteed, $230MM deal signed upon his trade from the Texans. The possibility of the Browns considering doing so came up not long after a 24th suit was filed, adding to the allegations made against him which are separate from the initial 22 in place at the time the contract was signed.
As Cabot details, however, “nothing has transpired… that has caused the Browns to change their view of Watson” in a way which would lead them to try and void the contract. In much the same vein, she further states that the team is not currently looking to nullify the trade with Houston that saw six total picks (including three first-rounders) sent to the Texans.
“The Browns and all of us that know Deshaun are still totally behind him” as stated by his attorney, Rusty Hardin. “These latest claims by [plaintiffs’ attorney Tony] Buzbee change nothing, and they are totally false, and that will ultimately be what everyone concludes when they hear the evidence.”
The ongoing lawsuits Watson faces – which now include the Texans as well – will be paused until the conclusion of the upcoming NFL season, barring settlement deals being made. A suspension is expected to be handed down sometime in July, though the door remains open to further punishment, pending the outcome of the civil trials. For now, at least, the Browns are prepared to move forward with Watson as their franchise signal-caller, regardless of the backlash associated with doing so.
Texans To Be Included As Defendant In Deshaun Watson Lawsuits
Deshaun Watson may be playing elsewhere, but the Texans are still very much involved in the quarterback’s ongoing legal issues. Attorney Tony Buzbee announced that he is including the Houston Texans organization in the lawsuits against Watson (via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com on Twitter).
[RELATED: Latest On Browns QB Deshaun Watson]
“Based on what we have learned from the Houston Police Department, we will soon be joining the Houston Texans organization and others as defendants in the ongoing lawsuits against Deshaun Watson,” the attorney wrote in a message. “Our team has thoroughly vetted each case. We are considering many others. These women are the true heroes in this sordid story. What has become clear is that the Houston Texans organization and their contracting “massage therapy company” facilitated Deshaun Watson’s conduct. In many of these cases, the Texans provided the opportunity for this conduct to occur. We believe the Texans organization was well aware of Watson’s issues but failed to act. They knew or certainly should have known. The Houston Texans organization provided rooms for Watson at the high-end Houstonian hotel for his “massages”; the Texans also provided massage tables and other support for Watson’s proclivities – ostensibly to protect their “asset.” We intend to make sure all involved in Watson’s conduct are held accountable, in addition to and including Watson himself.”
The Texans released a statement responding to the impending lawsuit (via Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com on Twitter):
“We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident.”
Wilson also cites the organization’s statement from March of 2021, when the Texans said they only became aware of the lawsuit that month and hadn’t previously “heard of the matter.”
Buzbee’s talks with the Houston Police Department and lawsuit announcement follows yesterday’s New York Times report that Watson received massages from at least 66 women over a 17-month span from fall 2019 to spring 2021. Civil testimony included in the NYT report had Watson admitting that the Texans helped him with an nondisclosure agreement in 2020, and the player took NDAs to all future massaging sessions. The report also noted that the Texans set up Watson with a membership at the exclusive hotel that the attorney mentioned in his statement. Effectively, Buzbee is alleging that the organization either knew or should have known about Watson’s conduct before everything came to light.
The Browns QB has continued to deny any wrongdoing. The NFL has just about wrapped up their investigation, and a suspension is likely to be announced at some point in July.
Latest On Browns QB Deshaun Watson
Since Roger Goodell said two weeks ago the NFL’s Deshaun Watson investigation was nearing an end, two more women filed civil lawsuits against the Browns quarterback. Following the 23rd suit, Watson’s defense team denied the accuser’s account. After the 24th, Rusty Hardin indicated the defense only learned the latest accuser’s name when the suit was filed.
The 24th accuser presenting new information could open the door to Watson’s Browns guarantees being at risk. The Browns structured Watson’s fully guaranteed contract so the guarantees would not void if he was suspended based on one of the then-22 civil suits, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk raises the prospect of a ban based partially on a new lawsuit penetrating the bulletproof guarantee language. It is still possible the Hardin-led camp and the Browns were aware of another potential suit, but it coming more than two months after Watson signed his contract creates some uncertainty regarding the guarantees.
Given their extraordinary effort to acquire Watson via the record-shattering $230MM guaranteed figure, it seems unlikely the team would push to void guarantees. Watson has denied any wrongdoing, but the Browns continue to see detailed accounts of accusations against their trade acquisition emerge.
An expansive report from the New York Times’ Jenny Vrentas indicates Watson received massages from at least 66 women over a 17-month span from fall 2019 to spring 2021, the end of this timeframe bringing forth the avalanche of allegations against the then-Texans passer. Women who did not sue Watson accuse the 26-year-old QB of attempting to turn massage therapy sessions into sexual encounters, and Vrentas adds another woman withdrew her complaint due to “privacy and security concerns.”
Including Instagram messages between Watson and accusers and testimony from the ongoing civil trials — said testimony revealing, in at least one of the suits, Watson admitting a masseuse’s experience and skill level was not a priority — Vrentas’ piece also includes civil testimony in which Watson said the Texans helped him with a nondisclosure agreement. The 23rd woman to file suit against Watson, Nia Smith, shared texts, Watson’s phone number and some of his Cash App receipts on her Instagram account after his alleged sexual misconduct during their three massage sessions. Watson said the Texans provided an NDA in late 2020, and Vrentas reports he began taking NDAs to massage sessions soon after. The Texans also set up Watson with a membership at The Houstonian, a hotel where at least seven women gave him massages occurred, according to Vrentas.
The NFL has interviewed 21 of the first 22 women to accuse Watson of sexual misconduct and/or sexual assault, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot, and has concluded its interviews with the embattled passer, who switched his Twitter account to private following Vrentas’ story. Goodell said in March that, based on NFL and NFLPA talks, Watson would not be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list. Barring the Browns asking Watson to stay away from their workouts, he will continue to practice with his new team. If the NFL did not know about the information uncovered in Vrentas’ account, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson discusses whether the exempt list (paid leave) would now apply. The NFL did not place Watson on the exempt list last year; the Texans instead deactivated him 17 times.
A suspension is expected to be announced in July, and the run of information leading up to the independent arbitrator’s (and later Goodell’s) decision could increase the likelihood of a lengthy ban. This matter stands to hang over Watson for most or all of 2023 as well, with the civil trials going on pause from August 1, 2022-March 1, 2023. A second suspension could take place once the suits conclude. Watson missed his age-26 season due to these accusations and his previous trade request. The negative PR coming his way may well prompt the NFL to levy a harsh ban, putting his age-27 campaign in jeopardy.
Browns To Excuse Baker Mayfield From Minicamp
The Browns are scheduled to begin their minicamp June 14. Deshaun Watson is on track to participate with his new team, but the Browns ensured Wednesday their previous starting quarterback will not.
Baker Mayfield will be excused from Cleveland’s minicamp, cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweets, describing this as a mutual decision. The parties decided this will be the best course of action, one that will prevent Mayfield from being fined for his absence and stop further distractions — amid a slew of quarterback-related turmoil for the Browns — from taking place.
[RELATED: Which Team Will Acquire Mayfield?]
This comes shortly after the 49ers excused Jimmy Garoppolo from their minicamp. Garoppolo still has a chance to return to the 49ers, despite the team preferring to trade its four-plus-year starter. Mayfield, who requested a trade in March, is almost certainly done with the Browns. Wednesday’s decision offers further evidence its four-year starter will move on, regardless of Watson’s status.
Mayfield has been away from the Browns for an extended stretch, having made his trade request just before the team’s trade for Watson and shocking financial commitment. The Browns have engaged in trade talks with the Panthers, and the former No. 1 overall pick has been linked to the Seahawks. Neither NFC team has blinked, even with both having questionable-at-best quarterback situations. At least, that is where the Panthers and Seahawks stand presently. Things could change if those teams determine Mayfield is a necessary upgrade, but the holding pattern has persisted for several weeks. The Browns will need to pick up almost all of Mayfield’s $18.9MM fifth-year option salary; they are willing to pay a sizable chunk of it.
Cleveland cutting Mayfield would save little, since he could sign with Carolina or Seattle for the league minimum (due to offset language) and stick the Browns with $17MM-plus in dead money. The Browns have Jacoby Brissett positioned as Watson insurance. With lawsuits continuing to pile up against the Pro Bowl passer, a lengthy Brissett stretch seems certain for the 2022 Browns. Mayfield should be expected to be with another team by the time a (presumably) Brissett-quarterbacked Cleveland squad debuts.
For now, the disgruntled QB will finish his shoulder rehab away from the Browns. Mayfield is expected to be ready for full participation in training camp.