Baker Mayfield Rumors: Seahawks, Colts Interested in Browns QB After Trade Request

It appears at least two teams are interested in acquiring Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, who requested a trade from the franchise on Thursday, according to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot.

The Seattle Seahawks "have discussed exploring acquiring" the veteran signal-caller, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports. In addition, Mayfield reportedly "has strong interest" in the Indianapolis Colts as a possible destination, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Mayfield's trade request came after a lengthy social media post on Tuesday in which he thanked Cleveland for the past four years. That came amid news that the Browns were in pursuit of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. 

The Browns have since been ruled out of the Watson sweepstakes, per ESPN's Jake Trotter, so it should come as no surprise that the franchise is reportedly unwilling to accommodate Mayfield's trade request, according to The Athletic's Ben Standig and Jeff Howe. 

Still, there's no reason for teams not to check in on Mayfield, especially considering the Browns might be willing to budge for the right offer. 

Seattle's interest in Mayfield comes as little surprise after it traded superstar Russell Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Denver Broncos for Drew Lock, Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, two first-round picks, two second-round selections and a fifth-rounder. 

Lock, a 2019 second-round pick, struggled in his first three seasons with the Broncos, completing only 59.3 percent of his passes for 4,740 yards, 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions in 24 games (21 starts). 

Seattle might feel more comfortable with a quarterback like Mayfield, who led the Browns to a postseason appearance in 2020. The 2018 first overall pick has had a solid career, completing 61.6 percent of his passes for 14,125 yards and 92 touchdowns against 56 interceptions. 

Mayfield has regressed over the last two seasons, though much of his 2021 struggles could be related to the shoulder injury he played through, which limited him to an extent. He'd be an upgrade over Lock, but at this point, he hasn't shown signs of being a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. 

Meanwhile, the Colts recently traded Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders for draft picks and are in need of a quarterback with only Sam Ehlinger under contract for 2022. In addition to Mayfield, Indy has been linked to Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota this offseason.