QB Baker Mayfield. Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Baker Mayfield angered over Browns' public pursuit of Deshaun Watson?

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 3/17/22

Individuals within the Cleveland Browns left no doubt this week they would've replaced 2018 first-overall draft pick Baker Mayfield with three-time Pro Bowl selection Deshaun Watson had the Houston Texans star quarterback waived his no-trade clause to relocate to Northeast Ohio. That didn't happen, but it didn't take long after Watson officially rejected the Browns for Mayfield to ask for a trade, a request Cleveland isn't granting at this time.

The Browns reportedly told Mayfield's camp at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month he wouldn't be replaced by a veteran, but knowledgeable individuals such as Mike Garafolo and Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network have since said the franchise believes the 26-year-old understood he could lose his job to a "top-tier" proven commodity such as Watson.

Why, then, would Mayfield wait until March 17 to request a trade?

Per Tom Withers of The Associated Press, Mayfield "was angered by the Browns’ public overtures toward Watson" and now "feels his time in Cleveland is over."

#Browns told Mayfield and his reps they would pursue a top-tier QB talent if one became available. Don't think Baker expected it to be done in such a public manner.
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) March 17, 2022

"It's in the mutual interest of both sides for us to move on," Mayfield explained to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "The relationship is too far gone to mend. It's in the best interests of both sides to move on."

Meanwhile, ESPN's Jake Trotter added "Mayfield and his camp learned about the Browns' meeting with Watson over social media."

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam was part of a delegation that flew to Houston Tuesday to try to convince Watson to waive his no-trade. It's assumed general manager Andrew Berry and company must've known Mayfield would react negatively and, thus, have a "Plan B" in mind, but it's unclear what that plan may be ahead of the weekend.

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