I know, I know. You don't need me, or anyone, to tell you how unfortunate the Browns' luck has been at the quarterback position since their rebirth in 1999. The dictionary has also run out of synonyms for disastrous, catastrophic, or devastating to use to describe the decision to trade for Deshaun Watson. Team owner Jimmy Haslam had it right — a rare occurrence to be sure — when he said it was a swing-and-a-miss with that move.
As far as Watson goes, the city's nightmare is almost over. Unfortunately, the way the Browns structured Watson's contract from the get-go made it nearly impossible to send him away at any point. He has a stranglehold on his roster spot, and there is essentially nothing the Browns can do about it. While they do have to pay him, and essentially have to roster him, they don't have to play him. The hope is that Shedeur Sanders saves Browns fans from another second of uninspiring play from the single worst transaction in NFL history.
A different 2017 draft pick — one Browns fans wish the team had made — is giving some reason for hope in Cleveland. With Patrick Mahomes inking a seven-year, $448 million extension with the Kansas City Chiefs in recent days, there is finally some good news for the Browns on the QB front, at least tangentially.
Patrick Mahomes' contract details could put two Browns rivals in a difficult spot
While the Browns don't have anyone on hand at the QB position to worry about giving huge money at this time, two of their bitterest rivals, the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, do, and Mahomes' deal could lead to consternation in those teams' buildings.
There are only so many dollars to be dispersed by each team. If a rival franchise has hit the elusive jackpot on one of the league's best quarterbacks, fans must pivot to hoping that player's contract eats as much of the salary cap as possible.
The Ravens have been a thorn in the Browns' side for most of Lamar Jackson's career. Despite the occasional upset, Jackson has a 10–5 record against Cleveland with 2,700 yards, 22 TDs, and 10 interceptions. He is in the penultimate year of his contract, and much has been made about Baltimore's desire to get a new deal done.
Complicating matters is the fact that Jackson represents himself in contract negotiations. In any case, despite the Ravens' owner Steve Bisciotti's stated desire to get a deal done prior to March's free agency, Jackson remains unextended. Anonymous executives are starting to wonder what exactly is going on in Baltimore and forecasting a trade request from Jackson ahead of the 2027 season absent a new deal.
Surely, Mahomes' deal didn't help. Jackson will certainly want to surpass his fellow AFC heavyweight, which should be music to Browns fans' ears. The more money given to Jackson means fewer resources for Roquan Smith, Derrick Henry, and other Ravens difference-makers. Jackson's not the only AFC North quarterback to watch, however.
Out in Cincinnati, it'll be three years since Joe Burrow inked his own big-money extension when the 2026 season kicks off. At a $55 million-per-year average, Burrow might have something to say about Mahomes (and eventually Jackson, and others) surpassing him by nearly $10 million a year. The penny-pinching Bengals are surely shaking in their striped boots at the prospect.
Once upon a time, Cincinnati had a different No. 1 overall pick quarterback who quibbled with how the team conducted business — Carson Palmer. The situation turned ugly as the franchise initially refused to acquiesce to his trade request, and he sat out the first half of the season. An injury to then-Oakland Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell opened the door to a trade between the Raiders and Bengals that got him out of Cincinnati.
Would the Bengals be foolish to upset Joe Burrow if he asked to be paid commensurately with the other top QBs in the league? No doubt about it. Have the Bengals ever been considered among the smartest or most forward-thinking NFL franchises? Some things are best left unsaid. The Mahomes contract could grease the skids, and Browns fans would be all for it.
Burrow's middling 4–6 career record against the Browns is skewed heavily by the four-game losing streak against Cleveland to begin his career. He's nonetheless thrown for about 2,300 yards, 19 TDs, with only six interceptions. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks Burrow isn't among the league's best. Browns fans would rejoice to see him join a different franchise.
It's often hard to spot a catalyst in the moment. Retracing the steps months or years down the line is usually the way stories are eventually written. With Mahomes' new contract, there is a nonzero chance that it becomes the starting point for one or two of the best AFC North quarterbacks ever to move on from their franchises. Fans are giddy at the sheer possibility.
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