Browns deal Mayfield to Panthers
From being drafted first to dumped in four years, Baker Mayfield's wild fouryear ride in Cleveland is over.
The No. 1 overall pick in 2018, Mayfield was traded Wednesday by the Browns, who moved on from the divisive quarterback months ago and finally 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, is going to Carolina for a conditional draft pick in 2024 or 2025.
The Browns are paying $10.5 million of Mayfield's $18.8 million contract for next season, according to sources. The Panthers will pay $4.8 million and Mayfield will take a $3.5 million pay cut, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade can't be finalized until Mayfield passes a physical.
However, the trade was announced by the Panthers, who will host the Browns in the coming season's opener — with Mayfield's addition spicing up the matchup.
Mayfield's time with the Browns effectively ended in March when the team traded three first-round selections and six overall to the Houston Texans for Watson, who is facing a possible suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
Watson has been accused of sexual misconduct 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, demanded a trade and then had to wait until the Browns found a team both interested in him and willing to take on his salary.
The 27-year-old will compete for Carolina's starting QB job with Sam Darnold, who was taken two picks after Mayfield in 2018.
Mayfield passed for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdown passes as a rookie, breaking the NFL record for a first-year quarterback. However, Mayfield's second season was a major setback. He threw nearly as many interceptions (21) as touchdowns (22) and seemed to be on a different page of the playbook than star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Cleveland went 6-10 and fired coach Freddie Kitchens.
The 2020 season signaled a turnaround as Mayfield led the Browns back to relevance with their first postseason appearance since 2003. He thrived in firstyear coach Kevin Stefanski's offense, throwing 20 TD passes and just three interceptions in his last 12 games.
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Katina Stuckey Smith and Bobby Thomas said the diagnosis came after an examination of their son's brain following his death in December, according to a news release from the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
Smith and Thomas said their 33-year-old son died of cardiac arrest caused by a seizure disorder that led to his retirement from football in June of 2021.
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