“He’s not going to do it” - Colin Cowherd alleges Baker Mayfield is refusing to compete for a starting job
Baker Mayfield is refusing to compete for a starting job, according to Fox Sports 1 personality Colin Cowherd. On his eponymous show, The Herd w/Colin Cowherd, Cowherd said the Cleveland Browns reportedly offered to absorb a great deal of the quarterback’s salary to get a trade done, but the quarterback is not going to compete for a starting job because that’s not who he is:
“So, according to Albert Breer, Monday Morning Quarterback, Cleveland has offered to eat a good chunk of Mayfield salary in order to help facilitate a trade. The question to me on this is Baker Mayfield, above the shoulders. Does he view himself as a franchise guy or a bridge guy? He views himself as a franchise guy. So, you can't bring him in to compete for the job. He's not going to do it with watson" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Deshaun Watson. He's not going to do it period. That's not who he is.”
Cowherd concluded his point by saying the Cleveland signal-caller sees himself as a former number one overall pick, not as a bridge quarterback:
“He views himself as a former number one pick, a guy that went to Cleveland. He's got a chip on his shoulder. That's good. It's all good. But he does not view himself as a bridge guy. That's why the Pittsburgh Steelers talked about Baker but in the end got Trubisky and a rookie Trubisky will play the game. This is what you're seeing right now. Drew Lock and Geno Smith: you could do it, but Drew Lock and Baker Mayfield, those two together and Seattle would be a tire fire.”
The former number one overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft demanded a trade back in March this offseason, and there looked to be a viable trade market as teams like the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks were interested. However, nothing came of it after this year’s NFL Draft.
When the Browns and Panthers negotiated a potential Baker Mayfield trade last month, the Panthers reportedly wanted the Browns to pay $13-14M of his $18.8M salary. wp.me/pbBqYq-chM5
The Browns traded for Deshaun Watson to be his successor under center for the franchise this offseason.
What do the Browns do with Baker Mayfield this season?
The quarterback is owed nearly $19 million in the 2022 season, and the Browns have shown no signs of cutting him.
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There could be an outside chance that the 27-year-old could start some games this season for the team if the NFL decides to suspend Watson for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
A trade shouldn’t be ruled out, especially if Cleveland is truly willing to take on some of Mayfield’s salary. We’ll see what happens with the Browns and the 2018 Pro Football Writers of America Rookie of the Year.