When Browns General Manager Andrew Berry spoke to reporters around midseason, he said that he thought quarterback Baker Mayfield would continue to grow over the second half of the season.
Berry met with reporters again on Wednesday and said that Mayfield’s growth is “something that all of us have seen over the second half of the season.” He added that Mayfield has “really grown up before our eyes,” but he was more reticent when it came to what’s on tap for Mayfield on the contractual front.
Mayfield can sign a contract extension this offseason and the Browns will also face a decision about exercising the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. The latter seems like a pretty good bet given the trip to the playoffs and victory in the Wild Card round, but Berry wasn’t sharing any of his plans on Wednesday.
“There will be plenty of time for those discussions with all the 2021 decisions,” Berry said, via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I think it’s probably just easier to say that I’m really pleased with Baker’s performance, really pleased with what he’s done this year. We wouldn’t be here without his contributions.”
There were five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2018 draft. It’s fair to say that Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen won’t be signing long-term deals this offseason, but Buffalo and Baltimore will be fielding similar questions to the one Berry answered on Wednesday.