Baker Mayfield Trade Rumors: Seahawks Still Have High Level of Interest in Browns QB

The Seattle Seahawks reportedly still have a "high level of interest" in acquiring Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in a trade, according to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports, and are "open to contractually extending him."

Anderson added that "the process of collecting information and insights into Mayfield is still ongoing."

Ever since the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos and didn't draft a quarterback, the question in Seattle has been who the starter would be going into the 2022 season.

Would the Seahawks give Drew Lock a chance to win the starting job in a quarterback competition with Geno Smith? Or would they address the position via a separate trade?

And ever since the Browns acquired Deshaun Watson, the player the Seahawks have most readily been linked to is Mayfield. The veteran quarterback has added to those links, making it very clear that he has no interest in ever playing for the Browns again.

"It's in the mutual interest of both sides for us to move on," Mayfield told ESPN's Adam Schefter in March. "The relationship is too far gone to mend. It's in the best interests of both sides to move on."

At issue in trade talks for teams around the NFL, however, has been the $18.8 million Mayfield is due for the 2022 season before becoming eligible for free agency next spring. Teams around the NFL reportedly want the Browns to pay a huge chunk of that money as a part of any deal.

Last Week, Albert Breer of The MMQB said on The Rich Eisen Show that the Browns were willing to pay around half of Mayfield's remaining money.

"Cleveland's been willing to take on a fair amount of Baker's salary, like $9, $10 million," he said (1:10 mark). "For people out there who think that Cleveland's holding on to Baker as Deshaun insurance, they wouldn't be offering to take on a pretty significant portion of the guy’s salary if they were looking to hold him until there’s more clarity in the Deshaun Watson case."

For a Seahawks team in a rebuilding mode, giving up assets to take on Mayfield—potentially only for one season at a discounted rate—may not be particularly worthwhile. They could use this season to give Lock a test run, hoping to see if he finally lives up to the potential that made him a second-round pick in 2019.

Per Anderson's report, however, they are still at least kicking the tires on a potential deal. At this point, however, they've had plenty of time to weigh their options.