The Cleveland Browns have been trying to find their quarterback of the future since 2007 when Derek Anderson led the team to a winning record. Some fans weren't even happy with Anderson and think they haven't had a good quarterback since Tim Couch was under center at the turn of the century.
With the first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Cleveland selected quarterback Baker Mayfield from the University of Oklahoma. He was fresh off a Heisman Trophy-winning season with the Sooners, and many wondered how his game would translate to the NFL.
Cleveland believed he could help turn the franchise around, and they were desperate because they were riding a bad losing streak when he debuted on September 20, 2018, against the New York Jets. The Browns lost their last game of the 2016 season, every game in the 2017 season, and started the 2018 season with a tie in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, before losing in Week 2 to the New Orleans Saints.
If you want to get specific, when Mayfield debuted, the Browns were only on a one-game losing streak. However, in reality, the franchise had gone 0-18-1 in its last 19 games before the quarterback made his first NFL appearance.
Here is more on Mayfield helping the Browns end their historically bad losing streak in his debut.
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Revisiting Baker Mayfield's NFL debut
The Browns opened the 2018 season with a tie against the Steelers. Veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor got the start, and went 15-40 for 197 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was again under center in Week 2 against New Orleans, but didn't fare much better. Taylor was 22-30 for 246 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The veteran quarterback started the Week 3 matchup against the Jets, but was quickly yanked in favor of Mayfield. The rookie finished the game 17-23 for 201 yards, and while he didn't throw for any touchdowns, he didn't throw any interceptions and only took one sack.
The Browns took the 21-17 lead when former running back Carlos Hyde punched in a score from the one-yard line. Cleveland's defense held strong, and the franchise notched its first win since December 24, 2016.
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Browns losing streak
If you want to be literal, the Browns' losing streak was only one game before Mayfield debuted in Week 3 of the 2018 season. This is because in Week 1 of that season, Cleveland had tied Pittsburgh. This technically brought their previous 17-game losing streak to an end in the record books because they played in a game that they didn't lose.
Another way to look at Mayfield's debut win is that the Browns had gone 19 games without a win before he secured their first victory. Cleveland lost the final game of the 2016 season, every game in the 2017 season, tied in Week 1 of the 2018 season, and lost in Week 2.
Looking even further, the Browns only won one game in the 2016 season. Before the lone win, Cleveland had lost 17 games in a row. When Mayfield started the first game of his career, the Browns had gone 1-35-1 over their last 37 games before he led the franchise to a win in Week 3 of the 2018 season.
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Baker Mayfield NFL Draft
Mayfield was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He had just won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and was considered the best quarterback in the class from his dual-threat ability and unmatched attitude when playing the game.
That year's quarterback class had some hits and misses, looking back in hindsight. Cleveland likely would rather have taken Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson, but Mayfield went two spots ahead of Sam Darnold and a few picks before Josh Rosen, the latter of which isn't in the NFL anymore. Mayfield didn't pan out with Cleveland, but he has developed into a solid quarterback in the league.
ESPN had Mayfield ranked as its fourth-best quarterback. Darnold was first, followed by Rosen and Allen. Mayfield was fourth, right ahead of Jackson. Mason Rudolph was the sixth-ranked quarterback and went in the third round.
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Why did the Browns trade Baker Mayfield?
While Mayfield helped Cleveland earn their first win in over a year and a half, the success wasn't sustained. The quarterback went 7-7 in his rookie season. He played in all 16 games in 2019 and 2020, but the Browns finished those seasons 6-10 and 11-5. In 2020, Mayfield helped Cleveland earn its first playoff win since 2002 when it knocked Pittsburgh out of the playoffs.
Despite this success, the Browns took a step back and went 8-9 in 2021. Mayfield was dealing with a shoulder injury all season, and it caused him to miss three games. In the offseason ahead of the 2022 regular season, Cleveland traded for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, and signed him to a massive contract extension. Mayfield requested a trade, and the organization granted it, sending him to the Carolina Panthers for a 2024 conditional fifth-round draft pick.