CLEVELAND — After months of speculation, the Cleveland Browns finally parted ways with Baker Mayfield on Wednesday, trading the former No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick.
It didn't take long for many on social media to weigh in on the trade, which could ultimately lead to Mayfield facing his now-former team in a Week 1 matchup between the Browns and Panthers in Charlotte. Additionally, many were quick to point out the amount of assets that Carolina has spent on a quarterback room that now features two of the top three picks from the 2018 NFL Draft.
Per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Browns will still pay Mayfield $10.5 million following the trade. Meanwhile, Carolina will pay Mayfield $5 million, with the Oklahoma product agreeing to trim $3.5 million from his previously fully guaranteed $18.5 million salary.
"Baker Mayfield infused our organization with tenacity and grit during his time as our starting quarterback," Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. "Baker's competitiveness, toughness and ability to persevere were all characteristics that endeared him to our city as well as his teammates. He will always have a unique place in Browns history for what he accomplished and we wish him well as he continues his career."
Mayfield's departure from Cleveland comes more than three months after he requested a trade from the Browns, which the team initially denied. But after Cleveland acquired Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans, the Browns made their former quarterback available, with the Panthers being the team most consistently linked as a suitor for the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.