NFL Rumors: Here's when Baker Mayfield felt his time with Browns was over

While trading for Deshaun Watson seemed like a big move for the Browns, it remains to be seen whether everything works out fine before the 2022 NFL season gets underway. The former Texans quarterback may be cleared from criminal matters but the league can still suspend him.

In that case, Cleveland would be in deep trouble, as they have practically burned all bridges with Baker Mayfield. The only reason why he's still on the roster is because no team wants to take him nor the money he's due this season.

Despite the fact that, technically, he is still one of their own, the truth is that Mayfield and the Browns reached a point of no return. By acquiring Watson, the front office made clear who the starting quarterback would be from now on. Even so, that was not when Mayfield realized it was time to leave.

Mayfield may have decided to leave before Browns made official the Watson trade

Mayfield's future in Cleveland never seemed clear after the 2021 season. As a matter of fact, Browns G.M. Andrew Berry eventually let him know they were open to land a star quarterback if they had the chance. 

However, what bothered Mayfield was not the fact that they were considering new options but that they went behind his back. Mayfield found out on social media that the front office was traveling to Houston to meet with Watson.

But that wasn't the end for him either. According to Jake Trotter of ESPN, Mayfield decided it was time to go after reading a report that suggested the Browns wanted an "adult" signal-caller:

"But the final straw for Mayfield, according to multiple sources, came on March 16, when ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen said he believed Mayfield's time in Cleveland was over and that he was told the Browns wanted "an adult" at quarterback."

Trotter adds that Mayfield requested a trade only a day later, 24 hours before the Browns officially landed Watson. It's important to note that many reports had already placed him out of Cleveland by then, and this could have just sealed the deal for him. After all, it seems that Mayfield learned more about his future from the Internet than from the Browns' front office.