Rumor: Browns Bracing For Massive Deshaun Watson Suspension By Keeping Baker Mayfield

There’s a new reason why the Browns may be holding on to Baker Mayfield, for now: perhaps they’re bracing themselves for the event that Deshaun Watson were to be suspended for an extended period of time.

After the MLB suspended Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer for two years following their investigation into sexual assault, many fans and members of the media openly wondered if it was possible that the NFL could still hand down the same fate to Watson.

NFL Ripped Over Deshaun Watson Investigation Following Trevor Bauer’s Suspension https://t.co/9nv5t5lii7

— SideAction (@SideActionHQ) May 2, 2022

Now, it’s being rumored that the Browns are bracing for a long Deshaun Watson suspension by keeping quarterback Baker Mayfield for all this time. Either that, or they’re waiting to see if another team suffers a blow to their quarterback room through an unexpected injury.

Per Mike Florio of PFT:

“What if the loose sense is wrong? What if the NFL, influenced by 22 claims of sexual misconduct during massages and the two-year banishment imposed on Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer by Major League Baseball, the Commissioner imposes a one-year suspension on Watson?

There’s another important factor at play here. Other owners are pissed about the five-year, $230 million guaranteed deal given by the Browns to Watson. Surely, they’re letting the Commissioner hear about it. Sort of like when the other owners were letting the Commissioner hear about the perceived wrist slap the Patriots received for Spygate. Which contributed directly to the trumped-up charges and conclusions in Deflategate.

So the Browns may need Mayfield, and it could be a tenuous win-win. He needs a place to play — and to play well — as he prepares to become a free agent. The Browns may need a starter for all, not just part, of 2022.”

The Browns could now be waiting for a freak injury to happen to a starting quarterback elsewhere. What if their current starter is suspended for a full year? The Browns could then need to keep Baker Mayfield. https://t.co/TzYTIFNjiq

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 2, 2022

During the NFL Draft, Browns general manager Andrew Berry maintained that the team was just being patient by keeping Baker Mayfield for this long.

“It is a fluid situation,” Berry said, via Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan. “We will deal with it day by day. We are pleased with the weekend and pleased with the guys that we added.”

It sure doesn’t sound like the Browns would be keeping Baker Mayfield for the sole purpose of waiting to see if Deshaun Watson is suspended. But if the NFL’s investigation ends up resulting in some time off for Watson, it’ll be interesting to see what the Browns end up doing with Baker.

Welcome to the game outside the game! Follow us on our Sideaction Twitter handle, Instagram, and Facebook for the latest on sports and pop culture news across the web!