Baker Mayfield

How Mayfield’s injury impacts the Browns’ decision on a potential contract extension

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After having to go off the field due to injury in the Cleveland Browns Week Six loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Baker Mayfield contract extension is now up in the air.

He was injured after being tackled by Cardinals defensive end JJ Watt and landed on his shoulder while falling to the floor, tearing his labrum. This was the same shoulder that he had injured in Week Two against the Houston Texans.

It is now being reported that Mayfield has also suffered a fractured shoulder alongside his labrum tear.

The Browns now have an important decision to make regarding Mayfield’s future.

The Browns have not put him on the injured reserve list, which means they do not expect Mayfield to miss more than three games. A return could be on the cards in Week Eight or nine, but that has not been confirmed yet.

    

The Browns selected Mayfield with the number one pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Cleveland signed Mayfield to a four-year $32.7 million contract and last season they exercised Baker’s fifth year option, keeping him for a fifth year at the cost of $18 million.

After being selected Baker did and still does have his critics.

“The truth is he’s [Baker Mayfield] not that valuable” said Colin Cowherd on the Herd.

With the Browns defeating a good Denver Broncos team without Mayfield there will be more talk about if he is really needed in Cleveland.

    

In his rookie season, Mayfield threw for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 14 games.

However, in his second season he regressed. He threw for 3,827 yards, 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in 16 games.

Last season he showed some improvement, throwing for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions in 16 games while reaching the Divisional Round of the playoffs.

Currently in his fourth season Mayfield has thrown for 1,474 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions through six games.

This injury comes at the worst time for both sides because in the past few years quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have been given multimillion-dollar contracts, upping the price for the position in the NFL.

This could impact the Brown’s decision when it comes to Mayfield because they will have to be certain that the former first overall pick is their guy if they want to give him a contract extension.

With Mayfield going down injured, Cleveland are put in a very difficult situation not just regarding their quarterback position but the whole team due to NFL rosters being built around the quarterback.

“It’s been time to worry about this dude [Baker Mayfield]” said Marcellus Wiley on Speak for Yourself.

When it comes to their QB, the Browns can do one of three things.

The first thing is they can let him play until the end of his contract, which goes through the 2023 season, and then let him walk in free agency.

Another thing they could do is put him on the trade block and see what the market for Mayfield is. Then, if there are any offers the Browns are happy with, they can pull the trigger.

The third option will be to play him through his contract and then sometime in the 2023 season the Browns will give Baker Mayfield a contract extension.

However, depending on how well backup quarterback Case Keenum plays, Mayfield might not even get his starting job back never mind a contract extension.

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