While former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield gave the fans hope for four years, the team's decision to trade for Deshaun Watson in 2022 has brought nothing but despair. Now, the unpopular Watson makes another start Sunday against Mayfield, who just signed a contract extension with Tampa. Ideastream Public Media’s sports commentator Terry Pluto revisited the Baker Mayfield-era and what followed.
“Baker Mayfield was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft," Pluto said. "The Browns thought, ‘Hey, maybe we found our guy.’ In 2018, he actually set a record for touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback. He had a rough year in 2019. In 2020, he had a good year, went to the playoffs and even beat the Steelers in the first round. In 2021, he got hurt in the second game of the season."
Mayfield played through a shoulder injury, the Browns missed the playoffs, and his relationship with the team deteriorated as he sought a contract extension.
“(Do) you spend big money for Baker or do you try to get something better?," Pluto said. "And I really believe even at that time, a few years ago, before any of us had heard about the plans for an enclosed stadium, I think the (owners) Haslams were thinking, ‘We really want to get this thing rolling, see if we can get something that would garner public support, win a lot of games,’ et cetera.”
In 2022, the Browns moved on from Mayfield, trading for Deshaun Watson and giving him a record $230 million fully guaranteed contract. Watson then served an 11-game suspension.
“You’re talking about baggage, I mean, Deshaun Watson comes to town with a Mayflower moving van behind him,” Pluto said. “All right, you don’t want Baker, but why that? Why are you taking on the guy with all the baggage, the off-field problems with the civil suits over his conduct with massage therapists, and then giving him this record-breaking guaranteed contract? And I think Jimmy Haslam, the owner, gave somewhat of a truthful answer about a year ago, when he was asked about Watson and all the problems, he said, ‘Well, we took a big swing,’ and basically it was a miss.”
Meanwhile, after leaving Cleveland, Mayfield bounced from Carolina to the Rams before finding a home in Tampa Bay in 2023.
“They brought him in on a minimal-type contract and said, you know, good luck, see what you can do," Pluto said. "He got humbled. He’s been to the playoffs twice with the Bucs. He just signed a three-year contract extension with them. You know what he is? He’s not bad. But I think in the NFL, where you say, well, the ultimate goal is a Super Bowl, we’ve got to do better. The problem is, it’s hard to get better than not bad at the quarterback position. Look at the Browns, look at a lot of other teams.”
It was a different story for the Browns.
“Since Baker left, the Browns have had eight different starting quarterbacks," Pluto said. "You can win some money saying there was a guy named Jeff Driskel who once started a game in that span for the Browns. So, eight different starting quarterbacks in that span. The Browns have gone 26-43. When Baker started here, they were 29-30, and they did go to the playoffs once. I mean, not great, but better than 26-43 and eight different quarterbacks."
Now, Watson remains Cleveland’s starter as the Browns head to Tampa to face Mayfield, coming off a dismal performance in a Week 1 loss against Jacksonville.
“If Baker goes out and has a big game, it’s just like rubbing their face in all the poor decisions in the post-Baker era," Pluto said. "He’s 31. He’s been through it. He’s learned some tough lessons and has become a pretty good NFL quarterback because there’s only about 10 or 12 of those guys who deserve that title in the league."
