The Browns and Panthers have finally reached a compromise, and it will end Baker Mayfield’s Cleveland tenure. The Panthers are acquiring the former No. 1 overall pick, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report (via Twitter). Carolina will send a 2024 conditional fifth-round pick to Cleveland in exchange for Mayfield, though Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes the pick is a conditional fourth.
The sides reached an agreement to split Mayfield’s salary, the primary sticking point in their months-long talks. The Browns have agreed to pay $10.5MM of Mayfield’s $18.9MM fifth-year option salary, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. To facilitate a Cleveland exit, Mayfield has agreed to trim $3.5MM off his 2022 salary, Garafolo adds. The Panthers will be responsible for just $5MM of their new quarterback’s salary. Mayfield can earn back the $3.5MM of his fifth-year option money through incentives, Garafolo adds (on Twitter).
With the Panthers and Browns facing off in Charlotte in Week 1, this already-lengthy storyline likely will not cease for a while. But this provides a resolution for Mayfield, who had requested a trade as the Browns entered the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes. Mayfield, 27, now has a few weeks to prepare for training camp with Carolina, which rosters 2018 draft classmate Sam Darnold.
Despite Mayfield leading the Browns to their first playoff berth since 2002, he played through a major shoulder injury last season and saw his value crater. After a 10th-place QBR finish in 2020, Mayfield ranked 27th last season. The Browns moved to acquire Watson, who changed his mind on Cleveland after the team proposed a fully guaranteed $230MM deal. That transaction has become one of the most controversial moves in NFL history, with Watson facing potentially a season-long suspension.
Mayfield has hovered in the background during that saga, with the Browns excusing him from minicamp. If he prevails against Darnold, the Panthers will deploy Mayfield against a likely Jacoby Brissett-quarterbacked Cleveland squad in Week 1.
More to come.