Browns' Baker Mayfield 'just worried about winning,' not about contract extension

The Cleveland Browns exercised the fifth-year option on the rookie contract for quarterback Baker Mayfield earlier this spring and expect he'll be their long-term answer at the position beyond the 2022 season. For that to happen, the two parties will eventually have to come to terms on an extension or a new deal. 

Mayfield spoke with reporters as part of Wednesday's mandatory minicamp sessions and didn't seem too bothered about his future even though he's been eligible for an extension since the start of the offseason. 

"Everything happens for a reason and it'll handle itself," Mayfield said, according to Jake Trotter of ESPN. "So, just worried about winning." 

The first overall pick from the 2018 NFL Draft added: "The chips will fall where they're supposed to. The concern right now is winning and building a strong foundation for the season. That's what everyone in this building should be concerned about."

As Trotter noted, Mayfield produced the league's third-best total QBR from Week 7 to Week 15 of the 2020 season. It was also in Week 7 (Oct. 25) when Cleveland star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. went down to a torn ACL, and some have wondered if there's something to the fact that the Browns starting signal-caller performed better without Beckham in the lineup. 

Beckham, meanwhile, officially practiced for the first time since the injury on Tuesday and "looked good," according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. It's unknown if OBJ will be a full participant when training camp opens in late July.