There’s been a lot of discussion about what’s ahead for Baker Mayfield following the Cleveland Browns‘ acquisition of Deshaun Watson. There’s been talk of Mayfield landing with the Seattle Seahawks or Carolina Panthers, and even talk of Mayfield possibly playing for the Browns more if Watson winds up with a hefty suspension from the league. Mayfield poured cold water on that Tuesday at his youth football camp in Norman, Oklahoma, though:
Baker Mayfield answered the question everyone wants to know: If DeShaun Watson is suspended, could he return to Cleveland in 2022? Here's his answer from his youth camp Tuesday in Norman. (via @CareyAMurdock, @Eddie_Rado) pic.twitter.com/ASNY5b8kdO
— SoonerScoop.com (@SoonerScoop) June 28, 2022
There, in response to a question about if he’s frustrated by not knowing where he’ll play this fall yet, Mayfield says “I think I got frustrated with it not happening before, with minicamp and all those things. But that’s the stuff that’s out of my control, let those things happen and fall into place. Right now, I’m just controlling what I can and enjoying this.”
Mayfield’s then asked if he could ever play for the Browns again, and he says “It’s been pretty obvious the mutual decision is on both sides to move on. I’m thankful for my four years in Cleveland. There’s a lot of ups and downs and a ton of learning experiences that I’ll forever keep with me, and teammates, and friends, and relationships that I’ll have for a lifetime. …The support staff of Cleveland, the people of Cleveland, it’s a great sports town. So I’m thankful for it, and there’s no resentment towards the city of Cleveland by any means.”
Mayfield’s then asked “If they don’t have a quarterback for the next year, would there be any chance of reconciliation there?”, and he says “No, I think for that to happen, there would have to be some reaching out. I think we’re ready to move on on both sides.”
It’s notable to hear Mayfield say that (from his perspective, at least) the Browns haven’t shown particular interest in bringing him back. And that’s significant with all the talk about a potential heavy suspension for Watson. If the Browns haven’t been reaching out to Mayfield even amidst that, it does sound like they’ll be moving on from him regardless of what happens with Watson.
[Sooner Scoop on Twitter]
