The Cleveland Browns’ very own Baker Mayfield may be very in demand in 2023.
It’s looking like more and more teams are ready to accept their fate for the 2022 season and ride with the unknown quantities they have at quarterback this season. So it’s likely Baker Mayfield may not find his new home in earnest until 2023. For Mayfield, that may not be such a bad thing. He won’t be rushed into a learning a new playbook on the fly, he’ll get to pick where he ends up, and he’ll have the opportunity to get himself healthy physically and mentally before the season starts
So where does he land? Well, I looked through each team and identified 17 teams that could be in the market for Mayfield’s services next year depending on some variables. Granted, it could be 18 if the Browns lost Deshaun Watson for an indefinite period of time, but Mayfield will probably never step foot in Cleveland Browns stadium again unless it’s for an opposing team.
So, what made a team eligible to be considered? First, if they have no real obvious starter at quarterback. This is the case for Seattle and Carolina and, in my opinion, Houston and Washington. Then we have guys who are good but getting older, which makes sense. Then you have the teams who are riding with unproven and young quarterbacks, or have shakey starters in place.
It’s a pretty deep list. Now, no team that may have injuries, or injury-prone quarterbacks is on the list. This is about what team Mayfield could have a career with. We’re talking marriage, family, kids, and retirement. No one-night stands that last a season.
Let started.
AFC’s North, East
Pittsburgh Steelers
Reason: Quarterback Carousel
The Pittsburgh Steelers have three quarterbacks. Which according to NFL logic, means they have none. Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph are all going to compete for the starting job. Trubisky is a former Pro Bowler and he was signed as a free agent with the idea that he’d be the team’s starter, but who knows how that plays out.
Mayfield may fit with their pass-heavy offense, but the team is rebuilding and far from an obvious contender right now. It may not be the best destination.
Miami Dolphins
Reason: Tua’s career projection
Tua Tagovailoa is arguably the most likely bust in the NFL right now of any quarterback still on their rookie deal. His numbers are fine, that’s not the issue, it’s that his arm strength has been called into question and many see Tagovailoa going the route of Chand Pennington. A good quarterback with solid accuracy but no arm strength after a should injury took away his zip.
What little zip it had.
Should Tagovailoa not impress Dolphins management in 2022, it’s likely he’s gone. They’ve already sunk money into all sorts of bad options like Jacoby Brissett, Brian Griese, Jay Fiedler, Chad Henne, Daunte Culpepper, and Ryan Tannehill, so why not try Mayfield? You literally can’t do worse than the last 22 years.
AFC South
Houston Texans
Reason: No clear starter
I don’t think anyone is comfortable with Davis Mills as their starter, and sure, he could surprise everyone. Or he could be a good manager that doesn’t turn the ball over. The Texans could use a shot in the arm and someone like Baker Mayfield could be the guy to give it to them. That franchise is in as bad shape as the Browns from a public relations perspective, so Mayfield may want to avoid Houston for a while.
Indianapolis Colts
Reason: Matt Ryan’s age and decline
Every quarterback drops off eventually and I believe Matt Ryan is on his way to bottoming out. The Colts yet again invested in an aging quarterback and it likely won’t pan out for them. Ryan, like Phillip Rivers and Carson Wentz, may be a one-year-and-done kinda guy. If that’s the case, Mayfield makes all the sense in the world, as he’s younger, played well in the same system the Colts used, and the indoor stadium will make sure the weather doesn’t affect Mayfield as it did in Cleveland. This is among the top choices for Mayfield should Ryan retire or play poorly.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Reason: Trevor Lawrence may not improve
It may be too quick to give up on a quarterback after year two, but Trevor Lawerence didn’t look bad as a rookie, he looked awful. It’s easy to look like a god when you’re playing with Clemson against the likes of East-West Tennessee State Tech of Chattanooga State but in the NFL? Different game. The Jaguars are not a well ran club, so they may think Lawrence has potential when he doesn’t or gets rid of him due to an itchy trigger finger. If the Jaguars do move on from Lawrence or want to bring in a veteran to push him, Mayfield should avoid Jacksonville. At all costs. The XFL is starting next year, if Jacksonville is the last choice, go to the XFL.
Tennessee Titans
Reason: Ryan Tannehill may not be the guy
It makes sense that the Tennessee Titans would bring in Mayfield to replace Ryan Tannehill. If the incumbent starter doesn’t raise the level of his game, he’ll be out the door. The Titans can save $27 million if they cut him after June 1, and then Mayfield could come in and see what he can do with a competent head coach in Mike Vrable. This is a pretty desirable landing spot for Mayfield, so if Tannehill does tank, hopefully, the Titans have an interest.
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Reason: Justin Fields rushed development
The Chicago Bears have found themselves with, once again, a quarterback prospect who has been poorly managed. There are just some cities that kill quarterbacks, like Miami, Washington D.C., and Cleveland. Justin Fields may be a victim of a rushed process by a bad head coach in Matt Nagy, and now the new head coach, Matt Eberflus, has got to find a way to undo the damage to Fields’ development. If he can’t, if Fields struggles again in 2022, the Bears may not have an option but to move on. If Fields is unable to be reclaimed by Eberflus, Baker Mayfield makes all the sense in the world. Mayfield can move the ball, he’s used to the weather and his intensity has made him beloved by most of his teammates.
Detroit Lions
Reason: Jared Goff’s shaky future
I don’t think Jared Goff is a bad quarterback. I won’t argue he was the best pick in that year’s draft, certainly not. He’s a former Pro Bowler, who’s pretty accurate, and doesn’t turn the ball over often. If he’s not good enough for Detroit, then I don’t know what they’re looking for. So if they opt to move on from Goff in 2023, they can save $25 million in doing so, and Mayfield again becomes a likely candidate to land there. The dome, the fiery coach, and the fact they’re pretty desperate all spell the possibility of success for Mayfield in Detroit.
NFC East
New York Giants
Reason: Daniel Jones isn’t the guy
The New York Giants are looking to move on from Daniel Jones. He’s athletic but he hasn’t shown the passing abilities the team hoped for. Baker Mayfield would be volatile in the New York market but he could be a guy that the team needs.
Philadelphia Eagles
Reason: Jalen Hurts may not be the guy
Jalen Hurts is another name on the hot seat this year. His numbers are pretty pedestrian and while the Eagles have found success with him at the position, many wonder if it’s because of him or in spite of him. The Eagles could do worse than Mayfield if a change is indeed needed to be made, and Mayfield could be the type of personality that the fans in Philly really gravitate towards. Assuming they win.
Washington Commanders
Reason: No true starter on the roster
If you forgot that Carson Wentz was now the Washington Commander starter, you weren’t the only one. The former Eagles quarterback has really fallen on hard times as a player and has failed to produce in Philadelphia and Indianapolis. I would be surprised if he could rejuvenate his career in Washington D.C. Even if Wentz isn’t the option and the Commanders go shopping for yet another quarterback, I wouldn’t want Mayfield in DC. The organization is a mess, and it’s very possible that Dan Snyder is forced to sell the team at this rate.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Reason: No starter
The Atlanta Falcons just traded away their best franchise quarterback ever and now they’re looking at replacing him with Marcus Mariota. That’s a backward move, as Mariota has shown what he is, or more specifically isn’t as a starting NFL quarterback, and this is coming from a fan of his out of college. The Falcons drafted Desmond Ridder, but you don’t build around quarterbacks taken with third-round picks all that often. Baker Mayfield would be an interesting fit with this team, especially if the offense under Arthur Smith is potent with Mariota and Ridder in it.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Reason: Tom Brady could retire/leave
There are two big rumors about Tom Brady, that he’ll either A) retire after this year to be a broadcaster, or B) leave Tampa Bay to play in Miami. If either of those come to fruition, then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and head coach Todd Bowles will need a new quarterback. While I would’ve liked to see Byron Leftwich get the job, clearly the team is confident in Bowles. Mayfield could do worse than a ready-to-win team in Tampa.
New Orleans Saints
Reason: No real starter
New Orleans is a great scheme fit for Baker Mayfield, or at least was when Sean Payton was running things. Mayfield and former Saints quarterback Drew Brees play so similarly that it would be nearly impossible to not get something out of Mayfield in that system. Dennis Allen is keeping things largely the same, so maybe Mayfield would do well here. The team has Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, and Taysom Hill on the roster, but at this point, none of the are viable starters beyond spot-starts. Dalton is past his prime, Winston has accuracy issues that cropped up last year, and Hill is just a hard guy to figure out.
Carolina Panthers
Reason: No real starter
We’ve talked enough about the Panthers but a team built around Sam Darnold isn’t going to fly. It sounds like Matt Rhule may be on the hot seat and if he thinks he can land Mayfield at a fair price, and do so early enough, he may just pull the trigger. That’s a two-way street though. It’s unlikely that Rhule comes back if he has a bad year, so if he’s gone in 2023, then Mayfield may not be a viable option for the club.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Reason: Kyler Murray’s unhappiness
Kyler Murray isn’t happy in Arizona for whatever reason. Be it legitimate gripes, poor work ethic, or bad advice from his advisors, but he’s making people made in Arizona. Should Murray force his way out of the city, or if the Cardinals get so fed up with the constant childish antics that Murray is pulling, they may just decide to cut bate. While Baker Mayfield isn’t the same runner Murray is, Mayfield and Murray ran the same systems in college, and it’s fair to argue that they could run the same ones in the pros. Mayfield makes all the sense in the world as a replacement if the team and Murray do in fact part ways.
Seattle Seahawks
Reason: No real starter
As with the Panthers, we’ve talked about the Seahawks a lot over the last few months. As with the Panthers, the Seahawks make all the sense in the world to trade for Mayfield this season. And again, like with the Panthers, if a trade isn’t reached this season, there’s every chance Seattle no longer remains an option for Mayfield in 2023. Pete Carroll is not young and he’s closer to retiring than not. He may call it a day after 2022 and if he does, there’s no guarantee they’ll still have interest in him. If he sticks around, however, and the team does in fact fail to produce in 2022, Mayfield is right back in the conversation.