While there’s still a chance the Cleveland Browns trade Baker Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers, NFL fans shouldn’t expect Sam Darnold to be involved in a potential deal.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com is reporting that a swap involving Darnold and Mayfield is “very unlikely.”
Darnold and Mayfield have the same base salary for the 2022 season – $18.858 million. It wouldn’t really make sense for the Browns to take on Darnold’s salary just for him to be their backup quarterback.
Even if Deshaun Watson has to miss time because of a suspension, the Browns have a serviceable backup in Jacoby Brissett. He could, in theory, handle the fort while the Pro Bowl signal-caller is out.
As for this rumored trade between the Browns and Panthers, the latest report is that Carolina wants Cleveland to take on some of Mayfield’s salary.
If the Browns are unwilling to eat some of Mayfield’s salary, it could be a while before they trade the former No. 1 pick.
We’ll provide more updates on Mayfield’s situation when they’re available.