Baker Mayfield will meet the Cleveland Browns again on Sunday, this time with Deshaun Watson on the other sideline as Tampa Bay hosts Cleveland in Florida.
It is Mayfield’s first matchup against a Browns team led by Watson, whose arrival in Cleveland set off the chain of events that ended Mayfield’s four-year tenure with the franchise. Cleveland’s pursuit of Watson in 2022 led Mayfield to seek a trade, and he was subsequently sent to the Carolina Panthers.
Buccaneers senior offensive assistant and passing game coordinator Ken Zampese, who worked as Cleveland’s quarterbacks coach during Mayfield’s rookie season in 2018, believes the Browns let their answer at quarterback get away.
“They already had their quarterback, and they moved on from him,” Zampese said.
Mayfield’s Cleveland peak
Mayfield’s best stretch with the Browns came under head coach Kevin Stefanski. Cleveland reached the playoffs during the 2020 season and earned the organization’s first postseason victory since 1994, beating the rival Pittsburgh Steelers 48-37 on the road in the wild-card round.
Mayfield threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns in that win at Pittsburgh, which remains one of the defining moments of Cleveland’s modern era.
Looking back, Mayfield said he remembers the positive side of his time with the Browns, particularly the playoff breakthrough and the relationships built in the locker room.
He said the road win over Pittsburgh brought many good memories and added that several former Cleveland teammates remain friends for life.
Injury, uncertainty and the Watson pursuit
The Browns entered 2021 with bigger expectations, but Mayfield played through a serious shoulder injury and his production declined. He has since acknowledged that he likely should not have continued playing through the injury.
Cleveland finished 8-9 and missed the postseason. The organization then turned its attention toward Watson, who had led the NFL in passing yards in 2020 but did not play in 2021 after requesting a trade from Houston. At the time, Watson also faced accusations from more than 20 women involving alleged sexual misconduct during massage appointments.
Mayfield requested a trade once Cleveland’s interest in Watson became clear. He opened the 2022 season as Carolina’s starting quarterback and faced the Browns in Week 1, though Watson was unavailable because of an 11-game suspension. Jacoby Brissett started for Cleveland and guided the Browns to a last-second victory.
Mayfield was later released by Carolina and joined the Los Angeles Rams, a stop that helped begin his career resurgence before he eventually signed with Tampa Bay.
What could not be repaired
There were indications that Mayfield and Stefanski had grown apart before the split, and Mayfield has said the relationship has still not been repaired. Browns guard Joel Bitonio, a longtime teammate of Mayfield’s, said this week that players understood how much the quarterback was trying to play through in 2021.
Bitonio said Mayfield shared the same determination common among players who insist they can remain in the lineup despite injuries. He praised Mayfield’s competitiveness and recalled the quarterback’s role in some of his favorite Cleveland memories, including the playoff run and a Thursday night victory over the New York Jets.
But Bitonio said players did not have a full view of the conversations involving Mayfield, ownership, general manager Andrew Berry and Stefanski. From his perspective, the breakdown had reached a point where it could not be resolved.
A different outcome in Tampa Bay
Mayfield has found stability with the Buccaneers, leading the club to two NFC South titles and a playoff win. He also recently agreed to his second major contract extension with Tampa Bay.
Zampese said Mayfield has become the driving force for the Buccaneers and that the staff has confidence he can keep improving.
Sunday gives Mayfield another chance to face the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2018. His first meeting with Cleveland came while he was with Carolina and ended in a narrow Browns win; this one carries a more direct connection to the quarterback decision that changed both franchises.
