"He overplayed his hand a little bit" - All-Pro Browns player explains where Baker Mayfield went wrong
Baker Mayfield and the Browns are at a crossroads. The organization signed Deshaun Watson to a five-year, $230 million deal, leaving Mayfield looking for a new home.
The Sporting News wrote that, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter, the Browns are "not accommodating [Mayfield's] request" to be traded. Instead, they are hoping to stick with him as their starter in 2022, which was their plan if they couldn't acquire a high-end upgrade like Watson, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.
According to former Browns star Joe Thomas, it didn't have to come to that. Thomas spoke on The Thom and Hawk Football Show and stated that Mayfield overplayed his hand when he found out the Browns were going after Watson.
Thomas went on to say that Mayfield got a little sensitive about the situation and that led to him asking for a trade.
“Baker said, 'I’m not going to play for you guys anymore. I’m not coming back,' which the interesting thing is that, to me, it seemed like Baker overplayed his hand a little bit because the interesting thing was, at that moment, the Browns were out of the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, and it seemed, by all accounts, that they were ready to do what it took to smooth things over with Baker."
“He overplayed his hand a little bit because, at that point, the Browns were backed into a corner. He was their quarterback, and he could have said, 'Hey, I realize that you guys went after Deshaun Watson. It didn’t sit well with me, but make it up to me. I need to do something with this contract. You need to commit to me, so I can commit to you.'"
Maybe if @bakermayfield hadn't overplayed his hand, the @Browns would have never pursued @deshaunwatson ... https://t.co/laJBb8I3ZC
Thomas felt Mayfield could have used the situation to his advantage and pushed for a new contract. Instead, the quarterback became "emotional" and demanded a trade.
“Let’s bring this relationship back together. Let’s get remarried. Let's have our 10-year renewal of our vows. Pay me more money and commit to me, build the team around me, and we go down this river happily ever after.
“But he didn’t say that. He got a little sensitive about it. He got a little bit emotional, and that’s when he released this ‘I’m not going to play for them' and he went radio silence on the Cleveland Browns and said you have to trade me to the Indianapolis Colts, thinking he was perceived as a franchise quarterback in the NFL and that he could kind of dictate the terms of where he was gonna be traded.”
Where could Baker Mayfield play in 2022?
There are a host of teams that could do with a quarterback. The Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints are two of the most in need, and it is likely that the Browns will not be asking too much in terms of compensation.
Seattle is also another team that could use the former Oklahoma star's services and has been linked with former 49ers star Colin Kaepernick.
Matt Ryan to the Colts, that leaves one place that makes sense for Baker Mayfield.
The Seattle Seahawks. We in. Are you? 🤷♂️ https://t.co/EpfUfScdj4
With still so much to play out in the NFL offseason, Mayfield could end up staying in Cleveland, which would not be ideal for both parties, so it would make sense for both to push through and try and find a deal.
As Thomas said, Mayfield overplayed his hand and went past the point of no return and now desperately wants out of the organization that drafted him. Will he get his wish?