Mayfield Returns to Tampa to Face Browns, Who Traded Him for Watson
Baker Mayfield faces the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, four years after the franchise traded him to clear space for Deshaun Watson. Both teams enter 0-1.
Key points
- Baker Mayfield holds the record for most wins by a Browns passer since 1999 with 30 victories.
- Cleveland traded three first-round picks to the Texans for Deshaun Watson in 2022.
- Mayfield signed an extension through 2029, making him the highest-paid player in Buccaneers history.
Raymond James Stadium hums under the pre-game lights, the air thick with the anticipation of a reunion that feels both distant and immediate. Baker Mayfield stands on the line, the weight of four years in Cleveland pressing against his chest even as he prepares for Tampa Bay. The clock reads 1 p.m. ET, a sharp, final tick that marks the start of a contest between two franchises still tangled in the aftermath of a massive 2022 transaction.
The stakes are raw. Both squads arrive 0-1, their season openings shattered by high-scoring defeats. For Mayfield, this is not just another Sunday; it is the first home game against the team that drafted him first overall before shipping him to Carolina to make room for Deshaun Watson. The geometry of that trade has haunted the Browns ever since, a structural flaw that has yet to be repaired.
Legacy outlasts the tenure
Despite his brief four-year stint, Mayfield’s statistical footprint remains etched into Cleveland’s modern history. He holds the record for the most wins by a Browns passer since the franchise returned to the NFL in 1999, a tally of 30 victories that no successor has touched. His 2020 campaign stands as a beacon, delivering 11 wins and a playoff victory that broke a 26-year drought for postseason success.
The contrast with his replacement is stark. The Browns surrendered three first-round picks to Houston for Watson, signing him to a five-year, $230 million contract that was fully guaranteed. The gamble has stumbled. Watson suffered an Achilles tear in October 2024, and his return to the field in Jacksonville last week ended in a 34-10 loss, with the quarterback taking five sacks and throwing an interception.
Watson's costly acquisition
The roster in Cleveland has turned over completely since Mayfield’s departure, yet the quarterback position remains an open wound. Todd Monken, the new head coach hired from Baltimore, admits he was nearly in the running to sign Mayfield during his free agency window in 2023. Instead, the franchise bet on Watson, leaving second-year prospect Shedeur Sanders to wait in the wings despite a promising 3-4 rookie record.
The question looms over the organization: at what cost does the transition away from Watson occur? The financial and draft capital expended suggests a high price for a future that remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Mayfield’s path led through Carolina and the Rams before landing in Tampa Bay, where he has found stability and success.
Tampa Bay's new cornerstone
In the Sunshine, Mayfield is no longer a journeyman. He signed an extension this offseason running through 2029, becoming the highest-paid player in Buccaneers history. His production backs the investment, with 12,237 passing yards and 95 touchdowns across his first three seasons, figures that rank in the top three of the league over that span.
Yet the game is not always perfect. Last week against Cincinnati, Mayfield completed 23 of 28 passes but lost all three fumbles in a 33-27 defeat. He acknowledges the need for tighter ball security, a detail he plans to refine in this week's matchup. For the Browns, the 30-win mark set by their former starter remains an untouchable benchmark, a ghost that haunts every drive in Raymond James Stadium.
