Baker Mayfield agreed to give up some of his guaranteed salary to help facilitate a trade to the Carolina Panthers, but he was unwilling to take as much of a pay cut as his new team would have liked.
Joseph Person and Zac Jackson of The Athletic shared some information on Friday about the two-month negotiation that eventually ended with Mayfield being sent from the Cleveland Browns to the Panthers. Mayfield was initially owed $18.8 million in 2022, which is the final year of his rookie contract. All of the money was guaranteed, but the former No. 1 overall pick agreed to tie $3.5 million of it to incentives in Carolina.
The Panthers reportedly asked Mayfield to take a $7 million pay cut. He was unwilling. In the end, the Browns agreed to eat $10.5 million and Carolina will shell out $4.86 million guaranteed. Mayfield can still earn the entire $18.8 million with certain incentives like a Pro Bowl selection or the Panthers making the playoffs.
If the Panthers truly believe in Mayfield as a starting quarterback, they should be happy with the deal. They are on the hook for less than $5 million if things do not go well. Should Mayfield help them reach the playoffs and/or make the Pro Bowl, they will gladly shell out an additional $3.5 million.
