The No. 1 overall pick in 2018, Mayfield was traded Wednesday by the Browns, who traded away the divisive quarterback months ago and eventually sent him to the Carolina Panthers for a future draft pick. Mayfield, who was pushed out of his starting job amid the Browns’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson, will go to Carolina for a conditional draft in 2024 or 2025. The Browns are paying $10.5 million of Mayfield’s $18.8 million contract for next season, two people with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The Panthers will pay $4.8 million and Mayfield will take a $3.5 million pay cut, said the people, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade cannot be finalized until Mayfield passes the natural procedure. However, the trade was announced by the Panthers, who will host the Browns in next season’s opener – with the addition of Mayfield bolstering the game. Mayfield’s time with the Browns effectively ended in March when the team traded three first-round picks and six overall to the Houston Texans for Watson, who faces a possible suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. Watson has been accused of sexual harassment by two dozen massage therapists in Texas. Mayfield, who played most of last season with a left shoulder injury, felt betrayed by Cleveland’s move for Watson, requested a trade, and then had to wait until the Browns found a team interested in him and are willing to take his wages. Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam thanked Mayfield for his contributions. “From the moment he was drafted, he gave everything for this organization and this city,” they said. “With his intense competitive spirit, he excited the fans and accomplished things that no player in his position had done in Cleveland for a long time. He also made a difference in the community, whether hosting events at the Boys and Girls Club, honoring our troops, supporting the Special Olympics, and countless other philanthropic endeavors.” The 27-year-old will compete for Carolina’s starting QB job with Sam Darnold, who was drafted two picks after Mayfield in 2018. The Panthers, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2017, have been looking for stability at the quarterback position since head coach Matt Raul was hired in 2020. They also took a run from Watson before he chose Cleveland. Mayfield’s four years with the Browns included less memorable moments than distractions as he was unable to end the team’s long search for a franchise QB. The season was full of ups and downs, coaching changes, too much drama and not enough wins. Former Browns general manager John Dorsey fell in love with Mayfield’s talent and was swayed by his rebuke, selecting the Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma first over other options including Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Mayfield began his rookie season as Tyrod Taylor’s backup before coming off the bench in Week 3 to lead the Browns to their first win in 635 days, a 21-17 victory over the New York Jets on national television. Mayfield passed for 3,725 yards and threw 27 touchdown passes as a rookie, breaking the NFL record for a freshman quarterback. For the first time in years, there was genuine hope for a wayward franchise that had 32 starting QBs since 1999. Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) sits on the bench during the second half of a 2021 game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Photo: Brian Fluharty/USA Today Sports However, Mayfield’s sophomore season was a major failure. He threw almost as many interceptions (21) as touchdowns (22) and seemed to be on a different page of the playbook than star Odell Beckham Jr. Cleveland went 6-10 and fired coach Freddie Kitchens. Mayfield also regularly argued with commentators who criticized his play and fought with local reporters. His immaturity was particularly evident on social media, where he frequently reprimanded critics. The 2020 season marked a turnaround as Mayfield led the Browns back into relevance for their first postseason appearance since 2003. He thrived in first-year coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense, throwing 20 TD passes and just three interceptions over the last 12 games of. Mayfield scored a playoff victory — the Browns’ first since 1994 — over the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on January 10, 2021, and came within minutes of carrying Cleveland to the AFC Championship game a week later before losing in Kansas City. The resurgence sparked Super Bowl predictions for the Browns in the 2021-22 season and speculation that they would sign Mayfield to a long-term contract. Neither came close to happening. After dropping a hilarious season opener to the Chiefs, the outcome of the game decided when Mayfield threw a late interception, he suffered a torn left shoulder blade the following week while trying to make a tackle. The injury was compounded when he was sacked by Arizona’s JJ Watt a few weeks later, and Mayfield never found his rhythm the rest of the season. Beckham was forced off the roster and the Browns stumbled to an 8-9 finish and missed the playoffs. Mayfield also raised eyebrows by publicly questioning Stefanski’s play-calling. Mayfield stayed through the finale and underwent surgery soon after. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said he expected Mayfield to return as the team’s starter in 2022, but that all changed with Watson’s pursuit. In recent weeks, as Watson’s legal entanglement dragged on, there was speculation that the Browns could turn to Mayfield. But the general recently said he did not believe a reconciliation was possible. They were done with him a long time ago.
