Baker Mayfield began his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns after the team selected him with the first overall pick in the 2018 Draft. Although his Browns career got off to a strong start, Mayfield was eventually traded following the 2021 season after the Browns' acquisition of Deshaun Watson.

Now, Mayfield is opening up about the end of his Browns tenure and why it was so confounding.

Mayfield recently stopped by ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show to discuss the controversy.

“I think I'm still confused,” said Mayfield. “…I think towards the end there, I played 2021 with a pretty much torn apart shoulder, and I was excited to get the surgery, get healthy, and get another shot to try and get back to that 2020 form. That wasn't their plan. But I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. The roller coaster that went on after that was a little bit nuts for me. It gave me a good perspective.”

Mayfield was traded from the Browns to the Carolina Panthers in the 2021 offseason. His season with Carolina was up-and-down, as he battled with injuries and quarterback competition before ultimately being released at the end of the year. He then spent the rest of the season with the Los Angeles Rams, before eventually signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past offseason, where he currently starts at quarterback.

Although Baker Mayfield and the Browns may have had a rough ending to their relationship, Cleveland fans won't soon forget the promise he once showed in reinvigorating the franchise.