The Cleveland Browns want to trade Baker Mayfield, but they are not willing to compromise to part ways with him.
According to Dianna Russini of ESPN in her recent appearance on The Ryen Russillo Podcast, the Browns have no desire to pay any of Mayfield's contract for the 2022 season. Although they have already picked it up and now owe him $18 million, Cleveland is firm on trading him without eating part of his salary.
“The Cleveland Browns do not want to take on that contract. I don’t know the number they’re willing to go to … they want nothing to do with that deal. If you want Baker Mayfield, you’re going to pay that money. Cleveland’s not going to try to split it up with you,” Russini said of the situation (h/t The Spun).
Baker Mayfield and the Browns have been at odds since the start of the offseason, and it has become clear Cleveland no longer believes in their former starting QB after trading for Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans.
The problem for the Browns is that they didn't trade Mayfield before they acquired Watson. Now, they have lost their leverage and the veteran QB's value has plummeted, with teams seeing him as a liability instead of an asset.
In fact, the Carolina Panthers abandoned talks of acquiring Mayfield from the Browns recently because they don't want to pay his whole salary–meaning they wanted the Browns to take a huge portion of it.
With the way things are going, it looks like Mayfield is going to be with the Browns at the start of the new season. As for Cleveland, if what Russini said is true, then they might just be willing to wait it out and see which team will have a QB need.
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