Baker Mayfield stat reveals Browns may have been right to trade him

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield finds himself in a familiar situation with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Baker Mayfield still has his defenders among Cleveland Browns fans. Those fans likely felt vindicated earlier this year when Mayfield was in the MVP conversation.

Yet those who do not support the former No. 1 overall pick did not give in to the hype, and may have predicted Mayfield's crash back to average. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended up losing a three-way tiebreaker in the NFC South with an 8-9 record. That is only three more than the Browns, and both teams are missing out on the postseason.

A stat shared by Steve Palazzolo reveals how Mayfield may simply be closer to average than he had hoped.

Baker Mayfield record as starter, including playoffs:

w/Browns: 29-30 (.492)
w/Bucs: 28-26 (.519)

— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) January 5, 2026

Browns may have been right to move on from Mayfield

One quick note on the above tweet is that his record with the Browns would be 30-31 if playoffs are included. Still, that is one game below .500 so the point remains. With the Buccaneers he is two games over .500. That is not exactly a massive change from his time with the Browns.

Mayfield has not played for the Browns since the 2021 season, but his career will always be compared to what happens in Cleveland at the quarterback position. It may take until 2027 for the real focus on Mayfield to completely fade away as the Deshaun Watson contract will be over.

His status, and the team's draft slot, could prevent them from going after a top quarterback this year. Waiting until 2027 allows for a full reset at the position with no outside distractions. This will officially end the complicated and unsuccessful Watson era, which followed the Mayfield era.

Ultimately, the former No. 1 pick by the Browns set himself up for life. He signed a $100 million deal with Tampa Bay after his career looked over in 2022 with Carolina. He is set for another payday in the next year or so as well.

Mayfield earned his supporters in Cleveland thanks to his attitude, but mostly thanks to winning. He was not even a .500 quarterback and yet he was able to do the impossible: win a playoff game. That feat alone makes him a Browns legend in the post-1999 iteration of the franchise.

Mayfield may simply be an average or slightly above-average quarterback. That is one reason why the Browns did not commit. But if that level of play earns over $30 million annually, he should be fine with his reality. Meanwhile, the Browns are desperate to find any quarterback not named Deshaun Watson to pay such a sum.