CLEVELAND — Baker Mayfield isn't straying from his message about how he'll handle his contractual situation with the Browns, not even after Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills recently made waves in the quarterback market.
Allen signed a six-year contract extension Friday reportedly worth $258 million with $150 million guaranteed. Allen's new-money average of $43 million trails only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes' average annual salary of $45 million.
The Bills drafted Allen seventh overall in 2018, the same year the Browns took Mayfield at No. 1 overall.
“I think Josh is a great guy. Going through that [draft] process with him, I’m very happy for him,” Mayfield said Sunday after the Orange & Brown Practice at FirstEnergy Stadium. “He’s in a tradition-rich town like Buffalo. They’re lucky to have a quarterback like him that cares about it [and] lives that same mindset that they do up in Buffalo.”
Mayfield is under contract for two more seasons. His agents and the Browns have yet to begin meaningful contract extension talks, a person familiar with the situation told the Beacon Journal on Sunday, but both sides want a long-term partnership, so there is a level of comfort a deal will ultimately be reached.
The questions are when and for how much.
If you thought Mayfield would net a deal in the range of $35-$40 million a year, it turns out you guessed too low, given what Allen got. Expect Mayfield's number to be at least $40 million annually.
“I’m worried about winning,” Mayfield said when asked about the size of Allen's payday. “I think the rest will take care of itself. It’s good for the quarterback position overall. I’d be lying if we said otherwise, but I’m worried about winning right now. I don’t know the timeline on it. We haven’t talked about it because I’m worried about winning this season.”
On July 30, Browns General Manager Andrew Berry said he wouldn't rule out negotiating an extension with Mayfield's camp during the upcoming season.
Mayfield said he doesn't care if contract discussions spill into the fall.
“I’m not doing the negotiations so, quite frankly, I don’t give a damn,” he said. “I’m worried about winning Week 1 and going onto Week 2 and focusing on that week one week at a time. That’s my mindset, so no matter how many times I get asked this question throughout the year, it’s going to be the same answer because that’s just the truth.”
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he sees Mayfield “locked in” on football despite all of the talk among outsiders about a new contract.
“Our guys are professionals,” Stefanski added. “They understand there's a business side to this, but we keep it focused on practice, on the meeting room, that type of thing.”
