Cleveland Browns real timeline to extend Baker Mayfield

Do nothing and risk losing Mayfield via free agency in 2022

The Browns can play it cool and not exercise the option and allow Baker Mayfield to simply play out his contract and turn free agent at the end of 2021. Of course, they could try to re-sign him in 2022 at the market price, which is anyone’s guess, depending on how well Mayfield is going to play this year and next.

This is essentially the situation the Chicago Bears have created for their former second overall pick, Mitchell Trubisky. It doesn’t necessarily mean they hate him, but it would mean that they consider him replaceable. The Browns would be telling Mayfield that he needs to do more to earn a big contract, so it is a bit of an insult.

They would probably give another quarterback, possibly Case Keenum or someone from the outside, a serious chance to compete for the starter’s job. But if Mayfield has a big year in 2021, that big extension could still happen. There would be other bidders, however. In Trubisky’s case, Chicago did not want to pay $24 million for the fifth-year option but did want to give him a shot at the starting job and earning a multiyear contract.  As of game four, however, the Bears now figure that they want Super Bowl star Nick Foles to take over that position. The key is that their actions showed they were uncertain and not fully confident in Trubisky as their starter.

Fans love Baker Mayfield, who is arguably the most popular player since Bernie Kosar. It’s easy to like Mayfield, who is extroverted and passionate, and a great conversationalist. He always gives a terrific interview and is gaining a following on television ads now. He will probably have a career in Hollywood when he is done with football if he wants. Fans love the guy, absolutely love him.

Most Cleveland fans, after years of being let down, would understandably demand that Mayfield be re-signed regardless of cost. That’s fine with Mayfield’s agents, Tom and Jack Mills of Capital Sports Management. However, at some point, reason has to take hold. Mayfield is intensely competitive and would like nothing more than to come away with a higher salary than the man who took his job at Texas Tech, namely Patrick Mahomes, but at $50 million per annum, that is just not going to happen. There’s a realistic balance in there somewhere, but it is possible that the two sides may take differing views.  What if the front office believes that there are better quarterbacks out there?

Mayfield’s history is pushing back against realistic expectations. It was certainly not realistic to expect to walk-on at a perpetual college football mega-power like Oklahoma and steal the number one quarterback’s job. In fact, that is just about impossible.  Similarly, it isn’t possible for Mayfield to earn a contract in the class of Matty Ryan or Patrick Mahomes…but he may not listen to reason. What if Mayfield’s team is bound and determined to test the free-agent waters, in order to become the highest-paid quarterback ever? Would Andrew Berry cave into those demands?

If Mayfield does go free agent, he is probably done with Cleveland, though there is some chance that they could still work out the differences and convince themselves that they are best suited for each other. Mayfield would be kind of like the husband who goes on a wild weekend in Vegas, repents, and asks for forgiveness. Sometimes it can still work out, but there is a negative vibe that needs to be overcome. This isn’t what we expect for a quarterback performing at a high level. It might be more in line should the Chicago Bears elect to re-sign Mitchell Trubisky, say.

If Mayfield does leave — and again, that is not very likely — it doesn’t mean the Browns will have no alternatives but quarterback busts. There are free-agent quarterbacks and draftees who are viable options. Look no further than the New England Patriots who were able to replace Tom Brady with Cam Newton. Still, there will probably be protestors on Andrew Berry’s front lawn for about six months if Baker leaves.

Chances are,  there will be a satisfactory resolution to the negotiation for both sides. But in the NFL there is always a chance for something crazy to happen.

More than likely, the best options are to extend his contract soon after mid-March 2021 or else be prepared to cut ties. The dollar value will come into focus over the course of the season. If Mayfield is a top 10 quarterback he will get a top 10 salary with major guarantees.

If he ranks, say, 20th overall, look for the 20th highest salary with much smaller guarantees. On the other hand, if he produces like a bottom five quarterback and he and his agent demand a top-five salary, there might be an impasse. That is not very likely.

But the Browns, as well as Mayfield and his agent, are going to wait until the end of the season to let this play out. For one, they have no choice.  For two, it is good business, and just common sense, to collect all the due diligence possible while preparing to make a decision significantly in excess of 100 million dollars.