The Cleveland Browns season went about as bad as it possibly could have. The Browns entered 2021 coming off of an impressive campaign that saw them finish 11-5 and emerge victorious in a playoff game. Cleveland, and quarterback Baker Mayfield, took a major step back, as the team missed the playoffs. Mayfield often looked lost out there, making some awful mistakes. Mayfield fired seven interceptions in his last three games, sparking the narrative that the Browns should move on from him in the offseason. However, the Browns would be foolish to do such a thing. Here's why.

Before the Browns drafted Baker Mayfield in 2018, they were locked in quarterback purgatory. Before Mayfield started every game for the franchise in 2019, they had started more than one quarterback in 17 consecutive seasons. 17! This is a franchise that was searching, hoping for any semblance of good quarterback play.

Until Baker Mayfield arrived. The Browns have made the playoffs twice in the last 20 seasons- one of those playoff berths came with Mayfield under center. Mayfield is inconsistent yes, but much of that has resulted from him having to learn three different systems and playing under multiple head coaches during his career. When he was put in the best possible environment to succeed, he put up the best numbers of his career in 2020.

And what happened in 2021, Mayfield's chance to show that 2020 was no fluke? He suffered an awful shoulder injury that backup quarterback Case Keenum admitted he probably shouldn't have played through. Mayfield has proven that when healthy, he can succeed in head coach Kevin Stefanski's offense. Over the last two seasons, he has thrown for 43 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, good for a 90.0 passer rating.

Even if the Browns decided to move on from Mayfield, there wouldn't be much of a trade market for him coming off said shoulder injury. It's highly unlikely that the Browns would be able to get the haul they desire in a Mayfield trade at this point.

Plus, a Mayfield trade would signal the rebuild process all over again. The agonizing, quarterback purgatory that the Browns only just emerged from after 17 long torturous seasons.

Do the Browns really want to put their loyal fanbase through that by getting rid of Baker Mayfield, the franchise's best quarterback in years?

They would be foolish to do so.