The Cleveland Browns pulled off one of the riskiest moves of the offseason went they made a blockbuster trade for Deshaun Watson. Watson is undeniably talented, but his playing status is very much up in the air. It also resulted in their current quarterback, Baker Mayfield, getting completely ostracized from the team.
Mayfield quickly requested a trade, but it wasn't granted until last week when the Browns dumped Baker Mayfield off to the Carolina Panthers in return for a fifth-round pick. It was quite a fall from grace for Mayfield, who very nearly lead the Browns to the 2021 AFC Championship Game.
But Baker Mayfield struggled for much of the 2021 season, and the Browns quickly decided this offseason that they couldn't pass up an opportunity to land Watson. It was a move that caught many folks around the NFL off guard, including Mayfield himself. Mayfield said that he was “shocked” to find out he wasn't a part of Cleveland's future, which surely led to his relationship with the Browns deteriorating.
Baker Mayfield says he was "shocked" when learning initially he wasn't in Browns' plans this year.
— Joe Person (@josephperson) July 12, 2022
In some ways, Mayfield has a point. He led the Browns to their first playoff berth since 2002, and he spent much of the 2021 laboring through a shoulder injury that was clearly limiting him.
But at the same time, Watson is a clear upgrade over Mayfield, assuming he will actually be able to take the field. The Browns decided they couldn't pass up an opportunity to upgrade from Mayfield to Watson.
Either way, the situation is resolved now, and with the Panthers and Browns set to square off in Week 1, there could be some fireworks. Baker Mayfield was shocked by how the Browns treated him, but he may be able to return the favor and shock Cleveland by leading Carolina to an upset victory over them when the 2022 season kicks off.
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