Browns HC Kevin Stefanski not ready to discuss facing Baker Mayfield in Week 1

Earlier on Monday, the Carolina Panthers confirmed expected news and announced that Baker Mayfield will enter September as their starting quarterback over Sam Darnold. That decision has Mayfield on track to open the regular season on Sept. 11 against the Cleveland Browns, the franchise that drafted him first overall in the spring of 2018 and that shipped him to Carolina in July. 

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked Monday about his feelings on facing his former QB1 a couple of weeks down the road. 

"We'll wait to talk about Carolina until we get there," Stefanski remarked, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I'm still in Week 3 of preseason mode." 

The Browns end the exhibition portion of the calendar with a home game versus the Chicago Bears this coming Saturday. 

Mayfield was comfortably atop Cleveland's depth chart at the sport's most important position last September but suffered an injury to his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2. He did his best to play through the setback before he underwent offseason surgery but ended the campaign 27th overall with an 83.1 passer rating and with a 35.1 total QBR, per ESPN stats.

"It's not a redemption year," Mayfield recently remarked about featuring for the Panthers moving forward, according to David Newton of ESPN. "I know what I'm capable of. I'm not trying to prove anything to anybody else. I'm just trying to lead this locker room the best I can and win a bunch of ballgames.''

As for Mayfield's Week 1 opponent, Cleveland is preparing to start journeyman backup Jacoby Brissett for up to 11 games while Deshaun Watson serves his suspension, despite stories linking the club with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo has lost his job to 2021 rookie Trey Lance.