The journey has worked out well for Baker Mayfield, but not so much for the Cleveland Browns.
The former No. 1 overall pick led the Browns to a rare playoff win in his time there, but about a year after that, he was on the outs.
Cleveland eventually replaced Mayfield with Deshaun Watson, and Mayfield had to follow a quick winding path before getting to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Now, Mayfield is a star for the Bucs, and the Browns are no closer to a QB solution.
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Why did the Browns let Baker Mayfield leave?
When the Browns chose Mayfield No. 1 overall out of Oklahoma in 2018, it was supposed to be the end of Cleveland's decades-long QB woes.
His first start marked the 30th different starting quarterback for the Browns since their return to the NFL in 1999.
Mayfield set a record for touchdown passes in a season by a rookie (27).
In his third season, the Browns went to the playoffs with an 11-5 regular season record, then they beat the Steelers in a wild 48-37 first round game, their first playoff victory since 1994.
But in 2021, Mayfield spent most of the season playing through injury, and he struggled.
The Browns reacted to those struggles, which were likely because he spent most of the season with a labrum issue and some of it with a knee problem, and went after a new QB in the 2022 offseason.
They traded for Deshaun Watson from the Texans, prompting Mayfield to request a trade of his own, and they shipped him to the Carolina Panthers.
How did Baker Mayfield get to the Buccaneers?
The Browns traded Mayfield to the Panthers on July 6, 2022, for a fifth-round pick.
Mayfield earned the Week 1 starting job over Sam Darnold, but by December, he wasn't QB1 anymore.
On Dec. 5, 2022, Mayfield was granted a release by the Panthers which he had requested.
On Dec. 6, the Rams claimed him off waivers, and two days later, he was inserted on their second offensive series against the Raiders. They struggled most of the game, trailing 16-3 midway through the fourth quarter, but Mayfield led the Rams all the way back and culminated it with a 98-yard TD drive.
Mayfield parlayed that into a prove-it contract to replace Tom Brady with the Buccaneers, and he's been the starter there ever since.
The Bucs have made the playoffs in both of Mayfield's season, and in 2024, he threw 41 touchdowns.
Browns QBs since Baker Mayfield
Just since Mayfield left Cleveland, the Browns have started eight different quarterbacks:
Jacoby Brisett
Deshaun Watson
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
P.J. Walker
Jeff Driskel
Jameis Winston
Bailey Zappe
Joe Flacco
Dillon Gabriel
The Browns don't appear any closer to finding a franchise quarterback.
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