The Cleveland Browns and Baker Mayfield decided to put a hold on contract extension talks as the 2021 NFL season began.
That may end up being a terrible move by the quarterback, if there was any offer on the table.
Mayfield has been battling through injuries all year, most notably a torn labrum.
But he is also visibly limping around and was having trouble Sunday night in a bad loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns are on a bye right now, so GM Andrew Berry spoke with the media Wednesday.
He was asked about Mayfield and gave a good non-answer as the Browns prepare for a crucial finish to the season.
#Browns GM Andrew Berry on whether he believes Baker Mayfield is franchise's QB of future: You need to take big-picture approach, it's body of work, we've seen Baker play good football here and we're excited about moving forward and the opportunity ahead of us the next five weeks
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) December 1, 2021
A competent GM is never going to throw a player under the bus.
But one thing he did say stands out.
An Entire Body Of Work
The Browns are not going to judge Mayfield based on his injured play in 2021.
#Browns GM Andrew Berry: “Baker is our quarterback. He’s healthy enough to win games for us…”
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) December 1, 2021
That is why the situation is so complicated.
This is his fourth NFL season and he can barely stand upright while trying to help his team win.
Instead of taking a giant leap forward, the Browns have to look at his entire career to make a determination.
The entire body of work will also include 2022, which is Mayfield’s final year of his rookie contract.
Playing without a new deal in place is not ideal for either side, but it may be necessary given this season.
Mayfield does seem like the kind of player who wont hold out and who will actually want to prove he deserves the money.
That is all the Browns can ask him to do, unless they do decide to lock him into a short-term deal.
Another option is the franchise tag in 2023, but that would be getting way too far ahead of the current situation.
The Browns front office is not going to let anything slip and all fans can do is hope Mayfield is indeed the quarterback of the future.
NEXT: Browns Make Unfortunate History In Sunday Night Loss
