Baker Mayfield is eligible for his first NFL contract extension this offseason, but it does not sound like the Cleveland Browns are in a rush to give it to him.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported over the weekend that Mayfield’s representatives have not had any “substantiative talks” about a new contract for the former No. 1 overall pick. The lines of communication are open, but the two sides have not exchanged proposals and are not expected to have a new deal in place before the start of the 2021 season.
Mayfield and the Browns are said to be confident that an extension will get done at some point, which is why neither side feels a sense of urgency. Mayfield even explained recently why he is in no rush to get a deal done.
Fellow quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, who were drafted after Mayfield in 2018, are also in the early stages of negotiating contract extensions with the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens, respectively. Mayfield might be content to wait until they sign their deals so he has a benchmark for his.
Mayfield is completing the final season of his four-year rookie contract and making $5.1 million this season — a bargain for a quality starting quarterback. In April, the Browns picked up Mayfield’s 5th-year option, which would be for $18.8 million in 2022.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam made his feelings on Mayfield’s contract situation clear earlier this offseason.
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