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The Cleveland Browns are likely done with Baker Mayfield, and they are willing to pay up just to trade him.
The Carolina Panthers have shown interest, but there has been no agreement yet between the two teams.
Mayfield’s contract makes things complicated as both the Browns and Panthers try to move ahead with a potential deal. He is set to receive $18.86 million in 2022
Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show, SI’s Albert Breer said that the Browns are willing to go as far as paying around half of Mayfield’s salary just to get the trade going.
“Cleveland’s been willing to take on a fair amount of Baker’s salary, like $9, $10 million,” Breer said. “For people out there who think that Cleveland’s holding on to Baker as Deshaun insurance, they wouldn’t be offering to take on a pretty significant portion of the guy’s salary if they were looking to hold him until there’s more clarity in the Deshaun Watson case.”
Are the Panthers close to a deal for @bakermayfield despite Matt Rhule’s comments about Sam Darnold?@AlbertBreer on the latest:#NFL #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/SfgUhFUq3g
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 17, 2022
As enticing as that sounds, though, it might still not be enough. Breer also discussed how the Panthers are only willing to pay around $5 million. This means the Browns will have to pay for a bigger part of Mayfield's contract.
“If they were in a position where they only had to pay him $4 or $5 million, then I think there is a decent chance that Baker Mayfield would be in Carolina now and Cleveland would have a draft pick for him,?” Breer said.
Cleveland drafted Mayfield in 2018 with the number one overall pick. He has led the Browns to the playoffs once, but he has yet to make an NFL Pro Bowl appearance in four seasons.
