Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield showdown in Week 1?

The Cleveland Browns open season against the Carolina Panthers and trade rumors of Baker Mayfield going to the Panthers make this game even more intriguing

The NFL loves to play mind games with its fans! The Cleveland Browns faithful learned earlier today that their favorite team will be opening up against the Carolina Panthers down in Charlotte in week one of the season on September 11th.

What makes this game much more intriguing now is that the Panthers have been linked to the Browns current sitting duck quarterback Baker Mayfield in a possible trade before the season starts.

Oh, the drama! The magnitude of a Browns versus Mayfield showdown in week one would draw an enormous television audience. All those that have supported No. 6 would be able to seek their revenge on the team that stopped supporting their hero.

And that’s just the fans. Mayfield and his crew would be able to help carry that huge “boulder” on his shoulder into a revenge game of a lifetime for the former Oklahoma Sooner. Mayfield has carried that boulder on his shoulder for many years.

The soap opera leading up to the season opener would be must-watch TV.

Imagine Mayfield versus Watson in Week 1. The idea that this could even be possible is beyond explanation.

The NFL is a huge business and for them to schedule this game in Week 1 could speak to what they know could happen with the current Mayfield trade talk saga. The Panthers and the Browns reportedly had serious discussions during the recent NFL Draft about the teams trading Mayfield.

However, the Panthers didn’t move forward with the offer and eventually drafted Matt Corral from Ole Miss. Carolina also has veteran quarterback Sam Darnold in the quarterback seat at the moment. He didn’t have an overly impressive season in Charlotte a year ago. Interestingly, both Mayfield and Darnold were in the mix to be drafted No. 1 back in the 2018 NFL Draft. Mayfield went No. 1 to the Browns and Darnold went to the New York Jets.

Jump ahead to this past offseason when the Browns went all-in on trading for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and basically told Mayfield that they plan on trading him before the season starts. However, that hasn’t happened as Mayfield is still owed $18. 8 million and Cleveland hasn’t been able to lure another team into taking that contract off their plate.

In the end, it probably won’t happen like we all would dream of it happening but for one day at least it’s fun to imagine Mayfield going up against the team that gave up on him.