Has Baker Mayfield played his last snap for the Cleveland Browns?

With the Cleveland Browns shutting down Baker Mayfield for the final week of the 2021 season, there is a real chance he’s played his last snap in Cleveland.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Cleveland Browns and Kevin Stefanski announced that Baker Mayfield would not play in the season finale and would opt to have shoulder surgery as soon as possible. After watching him struggle on Monday night vs. a Steelers defense that hasn’t been great, I think this is the right decision.

The real question now is, has Mayfield played his final snap in Cleveland? If you asked me this question in August, I would have said absolutely no way. The guy just led the team to an 11-win regular season and got the organization their first playoff win since 1999.

Unfortunately, things just went the complete opposite way in 2021, and Mayfield has only really had one or two games where he performed up to expectations. He’s holding the ball too long, missing open wide receivers, and just hasn’t been accurate with the football.

I know he’s injured, and I know the offensive line has struggled at times, but this defense is just too good to not make the playoffs or have a winning record. In 14 starts this year, Mayfield has a completion percentage of just over 60, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. Perhaps the biggest issue is he has been sacked 43 times.

If Andrew Berry can find a suitor to take on Mayfield’s $18.86 million contract that’s fully guaranteed in 2022, he may have seen his final snaps in Cleveland. A team like the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, or Las Vegas Raiders could have serious interest.

What the Cleveland Browns must be careful of, not going into a full rebuild. This team needs an upgrade at quarterback and wide receiver, but other than that this team is built to win now.

I’m just glad I’m not the one who has to make these decisions.