Baker Mayfield is finally getting out of Cleveland.
The Browns have agreed to trade Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers for a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2024, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media. Cleveland is eating half of Mayfield’s $18.9 million salary in the deal.
Mayfield should be able to win the starting job in Carolina if he can get up to speed with the offense. The Panthers obviously do not want to turn back to Sam Darnold after what happened last year, and rookie Matt Corral is not ready to start in the NFL.
The Panthers were one of two teams that were consistently linked to Mayfield, though we learned this week that the other may not have ever had legitimate interest. Money was likely the biggest obstacle standing in the way of Mayfield going to Carolina, and the Panthers and the Browns were able to work through that.
With Mayfield now gone, Jacoby Brissett will be in line to start for the Browns in the event of a Deshaun Watson suspension. As luck would have it, the Browns travel to Carolina to face the Panthers in Week 1.
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