Report: Baker Mayfield could land with Browns rival this offseason

First, the Lamar Jackson domino must fall

With the Super Bowl, barely, in our rearview mirror, the NFL world turns toward the upcoming offseason. A lot of things will happen over the next seven months before the 2023 NFL season kicks off. A lot of coaching decisions will be made in the next few days while the NFL combine starts at the end of the month.

For the Cleveland Browns, anything related to the AFC North or AFC contenders will be news to cover. We looked at the Lamar Jackson situation with the Baltimore Ravens this weekend, for example.

Jackson is just one of a few big quarterbacks that could decide the offseason. Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr are two of the other big names on that list.

For a while, it was thought that Baker Mayfield would be a part of the top of the QB class discussions. He still may be one day but, for now, he lingers without a future.

While the Browns, and many fans, have moved on from Mayfield, according to a new report he could be back in their lives in the AFC North if Jackson leaves Baltimore (subscriber, $):

But if there’s not a decent starting opportunity available to him, the Ravens would represent a soft landing spot. It’s well-documented that the Ravens liked Mayfield coming out of the draft. He has a good relationship with Jackson and he’s close with tight end Mark Andrews. Ravens decision-makers have always liked and respected Mayfield.

The Ravens are currently without an offensive coordinator and could just as easily bring Jackson back. If they don’t, having Mayfield (with a huge chip on his shoulder) with a stable organization like Baltimore could be the worst-case scenario for Cleveland. Nothing is certain but the Ravens, much like the Pittsburgh Steelers, have figured out how to win games in a variety of ways throughout the years.

Mayfield’s future is not tied to the Browns but, depending on where he ends up this offseason, the two could be reconnected as direct adversaries on the field.