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It was just recently that the Cleveland Browns picked up the fifth-year option on quarterback Baker Mayfield’s rookie contract. Said option should pay Mayfield roughly $18.56 million in 2022 before he potentially hits free agency the following March.
The backdrop here is a lack of talk regarding a potential extension after the former Heisman winner became eligible this past March.
Mayfield touched on both the Browns picking up his fifth-year option and a potential contract extension in a Q&A with the media on Monday.
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“That’s one of those things that’s not in my control, but I’m truly thankful and grateful for them taking the chance — Andrew [Berry] and the Haslam family — for picking up that fifth-year option and making it one more year in Cleveland and extending this journey that we started three years ago today,” Mayfield said, via Pro Football Talk. “Just saw something on that, so I’ve been kind of thinking about that all day. So I’m very happy about that.”
The 26-year-old Mayfield is coming off a career-best 2020 campaign that saw him complete 62.8% of his passes for 3,563 yards with 26 touchdowns against eight interceptions en route to leading his Browns to their best performance since all the way back in 1994.
Despite this, it seems like the Browns are in a wait-and-see mode when it comes to potentially handing Mayfield what would be a lucrative long-term extension.
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What might a Baker Mayfield contract extension look like?
![Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) rushes back to the locker room after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]
Browns Extras 10](https://sportsnaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/15495215-1-1024x688.jpg)
Both Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are also first-time eligible for an extension this offseason. The interesting dynamic here is that Cleveland is not concerned about when they sign their extensions and how it might impact Mayfield’s market. That’s a risky proposition for the Browns’ brass.
Dak Prescott just signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the offseason. It’s just the latest example of the quarterback market resetting itself on a never-ending loop.
Right now, Baker Mayfield is likely looking at something to the tune of $150 million over four seasons with $115 million guaranteed. Should Allen and/or Jackson receive their extensions before Mayfield, those numbers will more than likely increase.