Baker Mayfield Trade Rumors: Teams Don't Want to Pay QB More Than $5-6M on Contract

NFL teams interested in a trade for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield reportedly want to pay less than one-third of the $18.9 million he's scheduled to make in 2022.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter the situation remains at a "standstill" because opposing teams only want to pay $5-6 million, while the Browns would prefer to pay around half of the QB's salary to facilitate a deal:

"Very slow, but here are two things that could sort of speed this up. If the Browns would just agree to paying most of his $18.8 million in guaranteed money this year. Right now, the teams I've talked to believe the Browns would maybe pay half of that, or something around there, which is progress that the Browns are at least willing to be flexible here. But, teams like the Panthers or some others who have at least looked into [it] would need a lot of that money covered. They probably don't want to pay Baker more than $5 or $6 million at this point because they know they have all of the leverage against the Browns, who have their quarterback situation all worked out."

"I'm also told there is some guarantees structure that the Browns could get some salary-cap relief if Baker were to say, 'Hey, I'll lessen those guarantees. You know, I can still make the money back on a new deal with a new team.' Why would he do that though, right? He's got $19 million that's on the books, guaranteed. So, he's probably not going to be flexible, though the Browns would love that. Probably not going to happen. That's why this is at a standstill. Look for mandatory minicamp though in mid-June to maybe speed this up because it's sort of an artificial deadline. He doesn't want to show up, but it is mandatory."

Cleveland accomplished its goal of rebuilding its quarterback room before the 2022 season.

The Browns acquired Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans to take over as the starter. Jacoby Brissett and Joshua Dobbs were signed to handle the backup roles.

Making those moves before dealing Mayfield left the Browns with no leverage in trade talks.

While Mayfield's contract provides zero salary-cap relief if he's released—the Browns would be on the hook for the full $18.9 million—every dollar not retained in a trade would represent cap savings.

So teams involved in discussions with Cleveland know the front office has a crowded QB room and no viable outlet with the 2018 No. 1 overall pick besides a trade.

In turn, the longer the offseason goes without a deal, the more inclined the Browns will become to retain the extra money, especially with a limited number of potential suitors.

The Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks are the two teams most often linked to Mayfield. A trade anywhere else would likely relegate the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner to a backup role, making a reduction of salary even more important.

Mayfield has endured an up-and-down four-year tenure as the Browns' starter. It appeared he finally turned a corner toward establishing himself as a franchise quarterback in 2020, when he tallied 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions in 16 games.

The 27-year-old University of Oklahoma product failed to build off that success last season, though. He compiled a lackluster 17-13 TD-to-INT ratio while playing through a shoulder injury for most of the campaign.

Getting a fresh start elsewhere would give him a chance to revitalize his career, but progress toward finding a landing spot clearly remains sluggish.