Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has reportedly requested a trade.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the news on Thursday afternoon, on the heels of reports that the Browns were out of the running for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
However, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported soon after that the Browns would not accommodate Mayfield’s trade request.
A number one overall draft pick by the Browns in 2018, Mayfield has worked through four seasons in Cleveland at various high and low points. After a record-breaking first pro season in which he set the rookie record for touchdown passes (27), Mayfield and the Browns struggled in 2019 to a 6-10 finish, with Mayfield throwing 21 interceptions (2nd in NFL) to 22 touchdowns.
In 2020, Mayfield and the Browns rebounded to an 11-5 regular-season finish and the franchise’s first playoff victory in nearly two decades with a 41-33 Wild Card round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mayfield threw for 3,563 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, to only eight picks.
However, Cleveland regressed to an 8-9 finish in 2021, with Mayfield throwing 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while nursing a shoulder injury for most of the season.
Mayfield is under contract for one more year with a salary of $18.8 million. A report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said that Mayfield had interest in being traded to the Indianapolis Colts, while Josina Anderson reported the Seattle Seahawks were discussing a possible trade for the former Heisman Trophy winner.