Browns, It’s Time to Pay Baker Mayfield
Last Sunday's game against the Chiefs showed Mayfield is ready to be the Brown's long term QB... all that's missing now is the paycheck
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Well, it’s official, Baker Mayfield is a franchise quarterback. I know, I know, you’re still scarred from past immaturity and antics and are ready to remind me of his 21 interceptions from the 2019 season. But if you’re still the guy with Mayfield skepticism locked and loaded you haven’t watch Baker in a long time… and especially not last weekend.
Last Sunday, in the Browns’ season opener against the Chiefs, Baker flat out put on a show. His accuracy was incredible, he was cool as cucumber in the pocket, and his reads were on par with the best play callers in the game. Baker’s presence consumed the entire affair. The guy even threw a block for trailing wide receiver Anthony Schwartz on a reverse (it was weak but credit where credit is due). As the clock wound down in first half, the Browns QB dropped a dime to stud tight end David Njoku that was nothing short of elite, putting the ball right on the money and moving his team into field goal range. The Browns had themselves up 22-10 at the half. Baker was delivering an aerial assault in Arrowhead and it looked like the pride of Ohio might cruise to a W. I was blown away.
The Browns cooled off a bit in the second half, the Chiefs woke up, and Patrick Mahomes started to do Patrick Mahomes things (you know, a 75-yard on-the-run across-the-body strike to Tyreke Hill for a go-ahead touchdown deep in fourth quarter), but Baker still looked good. Just as Browns were making a closing drive, Baker got hit trying to throw it away, the ball fell into the hands of the Chief’s secondary, and the game was done. The ending was anticlimactic for sure and it would be easy to get lost in the heroics of the magician who is Patrick Mahomes, but the evidence was there – any way you slice it, Baker balled out. He’s ready.
And before you say it was a fluke, please direct your attention to the 2020 season. Baker’s been trying to let us know he’s legit for a while now. Mayfield was more than solid last year, at times playing at an exceptional level. After leading the Browns to an 11-5 season, he oversaw Cleveland’s first playoff berth since 2002. In his junior campaign, Mayfield put up over 3,500 yards, 26 TDs and only 8 interceptions. Baker was pretty big time in 2020, and over his last ten games – the last nine from 2020, including his two playoff appearances, and last week’s game – Baker has a 64.6% completion percentage, 2,705 yards, over 270 yards a contest, 18 TDs and only three interceptions. As much as you want to hate him, Baker is officially a stud.
And honestly, he’s only going to get better. Mayfield is just not a guy you bet against. This is a guy who – at only a hair over 6 foot and with limited athleticism – walked on at Texas Tech, transferred to Oklahoma, once at Oklahoma walked on again, ascended to be the Sooners’ QB1, and then won the Heisman. Say what you want about him running down the sidelines in Norman waving his arms like a crazy person or planting the OU flag at the 50 yard line on the Buckeyes’ field (be honest, a little part of you loved that stuff), the guy is born fighter, he knows how to work, and he’s a winner at the highest level. Yeah, the NFL is the granddaddy of them all so it took him a bit longer to get his footing than it did in the Big 12, but we’re currently witnessing Baker do what he has always done. Baker is a franchise guy. He can take the Browns to the promise land. And with that stable of monster pass catchers he has and the strong run game he’s got backing him up, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Baker lifting a Lombardi in the next few years.
So the moral of the story is that the Browns need to pay the man. They’ve exercised a player option for Mayfield in 2022 at $18.858 million, but extension talks are looming as the last year of his rookie deal gets closer and closer. Fellow draft class QB Josh Allen has already gotten his mega deal, putting him at $43 million a year. Lamar Jackson’s has to be coming. Allen and Jackson might a few more accolades at this point, but Baker’s star is rising, and he’s proving he’s worth franchise QB money right before our eyes. So no more hesitation, no more “we’re not sure Baker can lead a team,” no more hand-wringing about whether he can consistently play at a high level. He’s doing it. The Browns need to open up the checkbook and start writing… and make sure they add a lot of zeros.
It’s been reported that both the Browns and Baker are slow-playing deal talks. Honestly, I kind of love this. As the Browns keep “feeling things out”, Baker is just watching the number on the cash register get bigger and bigger. Browns GM Andrew Berry made some great off-season acquisitions and the front office has managed the cap well, but if they don’t get moving, this is going to turn into a real Jerry Jones-Dak Prescott situation quickly (if you hadn’t heard, Dallas’ feet dragging ended with them giving Dak a bank-breaking $160 million deal that’s pays him $75 million this season – ouch).
Baker is the Brown’s chance. They need to push all their chips in and bet the house on their young QB. I know one thing: Baker is betting on himself, and everyone that’s bet against him in the past has gone home with empty pockets.