Once upon a time, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft. It was the beginning of something very special for the organization and its fans. Mayfield made the most of his four seasons with the team, helping Cleveland reach the postseason in 2020.
Unfortunately, Mayfield suffered a shoulder injury in the early stages of the 2021 season, and things were never the same. Following that campaign, Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers, ending his Browns tenure.
In a recent article on FanSided, Nick Villano shared one "what if" moment for each NFL franchise. For the Browns, he asked: "What if they stuck with Baker Mayfield?"
“Mayfield was coming off his worst season due to shoulder and knee injuries, and the Browns weren’t keen on sticking with him. So, they traded him to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick. In a cruel irony, Darnold was traded there months earlier. The two top QBs of the 2018 draft were on the same roster, competing for snaps. Meanwhile, the Browns mortgaged their future and their sanity to trade for Deshaun Watson. … The Browns watched as the Texans used [the picks from that trade] to help them get Will Anderson, one of the premier pass rushers in the league. The Browns, meanwhile, are still stuck starting Watson as of the 2026 season, and Mayfield is having success with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If this trade didn’t happen, maybe Mayfield still leaves, or maybe he becomes what he was in Tampa, and the Browns get to make the trade for Anderson. Or even crazier! They actually made something of the Myles Garrett era.”
Baker Mayfield is only one chapter in Cleveland's painful history of near misses
It's always a fun topic to revisit the "what-if" moments in sports. There certainly have been their share of them in Cleveland sports history.
In the same article, Villano gave the Baltimore Ravens the "what if" of them never becoming a franchise if former owner Art Modell hadn't taken the original Browns franchise away from Cleveland in 1996 and placed them in Baltimore.
Cleveland got a rebooted franchise in 1999, but to this day, things have always felt a bit off as the current Browns are still trying to find their footing.
The Cleveland sports "what ifs" have been plenty, beyond the Mayfield and Ravens history.
What if former Denver Broncos great quarterback John Elway doesn't lead his team on "The Drive" — their 98-yard drive to tie the Browns in the closing moments of their 1986 AFC Championship Game?
What if Cleveland running back Earnest Byner doesn't fumble at the 1 yard line in the closing seconds going in for the game-tying score in the 1987 AFC Championship Game against that same Broncos team?
What if Browns quarterback Brian Sipe doesn't throw an interception trying to connect with tight end Ozzie Newsome in the closing seconds of the 1980 AFC Divisional Round?
What if Cleveland Indians pitcher Jose Mesa completes the save in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series against the Florida Marlins?
What if Hall of Fame legend Willie Mays of the New York Giants didn't make "The Catch" in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series against the Indians?
What if legendary former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan doesn't make "The Shot" in Game 5 of the 1989 NBA Eastern Conference First Round against the favored Cleveland Cavaliers?
The list could go on, but we'll leave it at that. Cleveland fans have been conditioned to revisit moments in time. It's almost a way of life. It's made them the best and most hardy fans in the world.
I often wonder what things would look like if Mayfield had stuck around in Cleveland. What many fans forget about that situation is that Mayfield struggled mightily and tried to play through an injury, and by season's end, he hinted at wanting out of Cleveland.
If Mayfield stayed, maybe things would be different today. Would the Browns be contending for Super Bowls had Mayfield stuck around?
There will be more "what-ifs" to come, so stay tuned, Browns fans!
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