Baker Mayfield keeps finding ways to make Cleveland look at the road not taken.
At 31, the former Browns No. 1 overall pick has cracked the league’s top-100 player list, another reminder that his story didn’t end the way Cleveland once hoped it would. Mayfield had his highs with the Browns, and he had his share of blame too. But the longer this plays out, the harder it is to ignore the same lesson: sometimes a quarterback needs patience, structure, and a team willing to keep building around him.
That’s the warning sign Andrew Berry can’t miss.
Right now, the Browns are staring at a quarterback situation built around Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Sanders, a former fifth-round pick, dealt with plenty as a rookie, but he showed enough to earn a longer look. Whether that next chapter happens in Cleveland or somewhere else is still unresolved.
If the Browns decide Sanders isn’t their answer and move on, then the search for the next franchise quarterback would push them toward the 2027 NFL Draft. And if that happens, Baker’s path has to be part of the conversation from the start.
The mistake Cleveland can’t afford is expecting instant results. If the next young quarterback shows growth and real upside, the Browns have to do everything they can to support that development instead of pulling the plug too soon.
Mayfield was never a flawless player. He could rub people the wrong way, and his personality was part of the package.
But he also led Cleveland to its first - and still only - playoff win of the expansion era. He was traded after the 2021 season, still a former No. 1 pick and not yet at his peak.
The Browns may have evaluated the talent correctly. That’s still possible with Sanders or whoever comes next.
But scouting is only the first step. What happens after the draft is what actually shapes a quarterback’s career.
Mayfield is a classic late bloomer, the kind of player who needed the right environment to unlock his best football. He may never be an MVP or a Hall of Famer, but in Cleveland he likely would have given the Browns a better shot than the quarterbacks who followed.
And yes, some of this is about perception. To plenty of outsiders, he’ll always be the guy who got away, another example of the Browns letting a future star slip through their fingers. Every strong outing only fuels that storyline a little more.
That’s why the Browns have to get the next one right. If they draft another young quarterback, they can’t just identify him - they have to give him every possible chance to become what they believe he can be.
In Other News...
Browns Fans Just Got A Striking New Sign On Draft Day Choice
The Browns draft-night posture said plenty about where this franchise is right now. With the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Cleveland passed on the quarterback conversation and went with left tackle Spencer Fano, continuing a pattern of caution around the games most important position. It was the kind of move that tells you the Browns are still looking to build the right foundation before forcing a long-term answer under center.
Ty Simpsons slide through the early part of the draft only sharpened the debate around how teams evaluated him, and Clevelands choice added another layer to that picture. The Browns have been careful about taking a quarterback unless the entire organization is aligned on the move, and this selection fit that approach. For fans hoping the draft would finally deliver a fresh start at quarterback, the message was more about patience than a quick fix. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Isnt The Only Browns Contract Fans Should Be Worried About
Deshaun Watsons fully guaranteed $230 million contract has long been the obvious anchor around the Browns cap picture, but it is not the only deal that could leave the front office paying premium prices for less-than-premium production. Clevelands books have been shaped by that quarterback commitment for years, and the team is still sorting through the ripple effects of spending big on players whose value has not always matched the number attached to their name.
Tyson Campbell and Zion Johnson are the other contracts that stand out as the Browns evaluate where the roster is headed next. Campbell is set to make top-15 cornerback money, while Johnson is lined up among the highest-paid left guards, and both situations raise the same question Cleveland has been forced to ask more than once: is the team paying for upside, or paying past it? The good news for the Browns is that the financial picture should ease after this season, even if the Watson deal continues to cast a shadow for a while longer. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Still Has Denzel Ward Among The NFLs Best Corners
ESPNs latest positional rankings offered another reminder that Denzel Ward still belongs in the conversation with the NFLs best cornerbacks, even if the Browns veteran no longer sits as high as he once did. Ward remains one of the leagues more respected cover men thanks to his speed and steady play, a reputation that has helped him stay on the radar even as Clevelands roster has gone through plenty of change and the team has dealt with the fallout from the Myles Garrett trade.
Wards place in the rankings has taken a hit compared with where he stood a year ago, and there is some sense that the Browns recent struggles have played a role in how voters view him. Even so, the broader picture around Cleveland is not one of a teardown, with Andrew Berry not signaling a fire sale and Ward expected to stay put, leaving the Browns with one of the more recognizable defensive backs in the AFC. [Read more 🡒]