National Football League

Are Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns a long-term match?

Updated Dec. 17, 2021 7:01 p.m. ET

The issues facing the Cleveland Browns are plentiful, to say the least.

The team's COVID troubles are amongst the most severe in the league. Cleveland's total number of players now on the COVID-19/reserve list is well into double-digits, and that tally includes the squad's starting and No. 2 quarterbacks.

With the league reportedly moving Cleveland's Week 15 game against Las Vegas from Saturday to Monday night, the Browns might be able to get their top passers back for the crucial contest.

And speaking of said QB1, Baker Mayfield has been among the most controversial of his fellow positional brethren.

Mayfield's onerous saga with Odell Beckham Jr. resulted in the star receiver's release. Mayfield's press conference tidbits have alluded to a slew of injuries he's battling. And a string of shaky performances hasn't gone far in earning him much respect on the NFL QB hierarchy.

The Browns have managed to play above-.500 football through 13 games thus far (7-6), but they're nowhere near the lofty goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the season. Each game moving forward is of critical importance, and while Cleveland remains in the hunt for the AFC North title, losses could plummet it straight into postseason irrelevance.

And while it's not as pressing as winning games on a weekly basis, another major issue for Cleveland lies ahead that's directly dependent on Mayfield's upcoming form: his contract extension.

After going No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield has yet to convince Cleveland's front office that he is the future of the Browns.

And for Colin Cowherd, in summation, it appears the reviews of Mayfield's long-term viability are clear. But he doesn't place the blame solely on the QB.

Maybe, Cleveland isn't good for Mayfield, either.

"Everything in Cleveland is just hard," Cowherd said Thursday on "The Herd."

"Take [Mayfield's] first years there. Now this month, you've got a COVID breakout. Now they've got to face the Packers in Lambeau. Then they have to go to Pittsburgh. It's going to be Big Ben's potential last game at Heinz. That's going to be a zoo. That's coming off releasing OBJ, his dad releasing video."

While Cowherd acknowledged Mayfield's hand in the Browns' struggles, he was adamant that the problem was much deeper than him.

"This is why culture matters so much," he continued. "The Rams, they've had issues too. The Todd Gurley situation was a mess, but they solved it really quickly. New England had Tom Brady surprise them and leave, and a year later, they solved it really quickly. … This league is hard, and there are problems at every turn. … There's about seven teams in this league, even when they briefly win, it feels so hard: the Jets, and the Lions, and Washington and Cleveland.

"Getting out of your own way is a really important thing in this league. Even the good days seem way too hard for Cleveland."

Through 57 total starts, Mayfield is 29-28, having thrown for 13,718 total passing yards, 88 TDs and 50 interceptions. He's completed 62.1% of his passes while registering an 89.3 passer rating. He's currently ranked fifth in team history in TDs, and fourth in passing yards, but his 50 INTs are tied with Sam Darnold for the most in the NFL since 2018.

Through 12 games this season, Mayfield has 2,603 yards, 13 TDs and seven INTs with a 62.8% completion clip. He's on pace for career lows in all three major passing categories (completions, yards and TDs). He's also averaging a career-low mark in passing yards per game (216.9, 25th among starting QBs league-wide), and has been held below 250 passing yards in seven straight starts.

It's the longest such stretch of his career.

For perspective, his draft class includes Josh Allen (seventh overall pick), who finished second in MVP voting in 2020 and was named a Pro Bowler that same season. Allen sports a 35-21 record as Buffalo's signal-caller and signed a six-year, $258 million extension ($150 million guaranteed) in August.

Lamar Jackson (32nd pick) is also Mayfield's classmate. The 2019 MVP has a 37-12 career mark and will be eligible for an extension after his rookie contract expires in 2022.

It's safe to say Mayfield has not turned out to be the cream of his crop, but if he's going to earn a substantial direct deposit drop, he needs to unveil the very best version of himself in these last four weeks, assuming he takes the field more often than not (COVID-19).

Otherwise, he might need to schedule a few more commercial film dates in the near future.