Baker Mayfield is the quarterback no one really wants. He’s been waiting for a fresh start for months. Most recently in pole position: the Seattle Seahawks. But the situation is complicated.

Munich – Baker Mayfield is waiting. And has been for months.

That’s all the former No. 1 pick can do right now. But an end to the wait is not in sight for now, because the situation is complicated. After all, it has been certain since March that Deshaun Watson will play for the Browns, making Mayfield superfluous.

But he has been waiting just as long for a new employer. There were apparently not many interested parties anyway. Again and again the Carolina Panthers felt ahead, also the Seattle Seahawks were mentioned as a possible option.

Rumour mill is bubbling away

However, nothing has happened so far.

The rumour mill bubbles here and there, but also cools down relatively quickly afterwards. “CBS” reporter Josina Anderson recently tweeted that “the Seahawks still have a high interest in bringing in Mayfield.” She also said she knows “the process of gathering information and intelligence on Mayfield is ongoing.”

Indeed, the Seahawks now appear to be in pole position, in part because Mayfield himself favours a move to Seattle.

Coach Pete Carroll, however, as an old hand, is of course not letting his cards show.

The Seahawks are watching the quarterback market and looking around, he has explained for weeks. That’s because after the departure of Russell Wilson, the position is not very prominently staffed with Drew Lock, Geno Smith and Jacob Eason. Smith and Lock are battling it out for the starter’s job. Someone like Mayfield would undoubtedly bring quality to the position. Added to that: He’s fit again after his shoulder surgery and would be ready for training camp. With whichever team.

The sticking point with Mayfield is the money.

He’ll get a fully guaranteed $18.8 million in 2022. The Seahawks have $16.7 million in cap space, so would have to cut money elsewhere to afford Mayfield.

The Browns don’t want to fire Mayfield, but have also reportedly not made a decisive approach to the Panthers and Seahawks on the issue of taking on some of the salary. According to Sports Illustrated, the Browns were willing to pay up to ten million dollars of Mayfield’s salary. Not enough apparently.That the Browns are keeping Mayfield in a holding pattern because it is unclear if and how long Watson will be suspended by the NFL, however, is not the case, according to various reports.

According to the report, the relationship between the franchise and the quarterback is so damaged that even a lengthy suspension will not result in Mayfield returning; a reconciliation seems out of the question. Just in case, the Browns had signed Jacoby Brissett.

No rush

His commitment is looking more and more likely as there are fears that the NFL could suspend Watson for an entire season. Which would hit the Browns’ plans hard. The Watson case, in which NFL hearings begin Tuesday and a ruling is expected by the start of training camp in late July, shows: The Browns have other things to worry about right now.

Means Mayfield will have to keep waiting for now.

Patt situation in negotiations

The result: a stalemate.

In which not much is currently happening, as Aaron Wilson of “ProFootballNetwork” points out. “There has been no significant movement recently and no trade is imminent,” he wrote. At the same time, however, he also confirmed increased Seahawks interest.