PFT: Baker Mayfield 'Needs to Be Humbled' amid Browns Trade Rumors

An NFL source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk there's a feeling around the league Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield "needs to be humbled."

Florio reported Friday night that Mayfield has become a "handful" for the Browns, who acquired Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans to become their new starting QB.

"He's always had an edge," Florio wrote about Mayfield. "It has served him well at times. But it seems that he may have taken it too far behind the scenes, alienating the organization and prompting the powers-that-be to move on."

It's been a whirlwind week for Cleveland and the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

The Browns joined the Watson sweepstakes, which moved quickly after a Texas grand jury declined to indict him on nine criminal complaints filed by women alleging sexual misconduct after he hired them for massage sessions. He still faces 22 civil lawsuits.

Mayfield appeared unhappy with the front office's efforts to attract a new quarterback and posted what seemed like a goodbye message Tuesday on Twitter:

On Thursday, Mayfield requested a trade on the same day the Browns were informed they were out of the running for Watson, which led the team to inform the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner they were "not accommodating his request," per ESPN's Jake Trotter.

Watson changed his mind Friday, however, and his arrival in Cleveland all but guarantees Mayfield's time with the franchise is coming to an end.

Florio reported the "humbling" could come in the form of being traded for a late-round draft pick or simply being released because the Browns can't find a trade partner.

Mayfield, 26, is entering the final season of his rookie contract, which includes an $18.9 million salary-cap hit for the 2022 season, per Spotrac.

The University of Oklahoma product has endured an up-and-down tenure in Cleveland. He tallied 26 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions during a strong 2020 season, but that TD-to-INT ratio fell to 17-13 across 14 appearances in 2021.

While his inability to fully establish himself as a long-term franchise quarterback was likely the main factor in the Browns' decision to pursue Watson, it sounds like his actions behind the scenes may have also played a role.

Mayfield is good enough to receive another chance elsewhere, especially with a limited number of starter-level QBs remaining on the free-agent and trade markets, but it appears people around the league would like Cleveland to send him a message on the way out.

Regardless, the way his time with the Browns is ending should give him no shortage of motivation once he finds a new home.