Baker Mayfield’s Rise to MVP Contender Highlights Cleveland Browns’ Ongoing Chaos

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For over two decades, the Cleveland Browns have been the NFL’s cautionary tale — a revolving door of coaches, quarterbacks, and false dawns. Since returning to the league in 1999, the Browns have managed just four winning seasons, each followed by more disappointment. Twenty-five years later, nothing seems to have changed.

Quarterback Chaos Continues

This season, Cleveland entered training camp with four quarterbacks. Now, only two remain — both rookies. Dillon Gabriel has taken over as starter, backed up by Shedeur Sanders, after the team shipped Kenny Pickett to the Raiders and saw veteran Joe Flacco join the Bengals.

Gabriel showed flashes of potential against the Vikings, tossing two touchdown passes in Week 5, but crashed back to earth versus the Steelers, throwing the ball an exhausting 52 times with little to show for it. The rookie’s growing pains were predictable, but they also highlight the Browns’ never-ending quarterback crisis.

The Mayfield Mistake

While Cleveland struggles to find stability, the ghost of Baker Mayfield looms larger than ever. In 2021, the Browns traded away the former No. 1 overall pick to pursue Deshaun Watson, handing him a record-setting five-year, $230 million guaranteed contract.

That move now stands as one of the worst decisions in franchise history. Watson’s tenure has been marred by injuries and inconsistency, while Mayfield has rebuilt himself into one of the league’s premier quarterbacks.

Last season, Mayfield threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2025, he’s taken it up another level — ranking fourth in the NFL in passing yards (1,539) and third in touchdowns (12) through six weeks. The Buccaneers are winning, and Mayfield looks like a player reborn.

From Doubt to Dominance

Tampa Bay fans are chanting “M-V-P!”, and the odds now back them up. According to major sportsbooks, Mayfield has vaulted into third place in MVP odds (+350), trailing only Patrick Mahomes (+200) and Josh Allen (+275).

Since the Bucs’ win over Seattle on October 6, Mayfield has been the most-bet MVP candidate across U.S. sportsbooks — commanding nearly half of all MVP wagers. His confidence, chemistry with new target Tez Johnson, and command of the offense have silenced every doubter who once questioned his leadership.

Meanwhile, Mahomes Reclaims the Throne

As Mayfield climbs, Patrick Mahomes is once again asserting his dominance. The Chiefs’ win over the Lions in Week 6, combined with Buffalo’s loss in Atlanta, vaulted Mahomes back to the top of the MVP race.

The reigning two-time MVP has reinvented his game — increasing his deep-ball attempts and tight-window throws while still maintaining elite efficiency. With Rashee Rice returning to the lineup, Kansas City’s offense could only get scarier.

The Browns’ Reality Check

Back in Cleveland, though, the mood couldn’t be gloomier. Their rookie quarterback is overwhelmed, their $230 million investment has gone stale, and the fans have grown numb to disappointment.

Every week Baker Mayfield shines in Tampa, the Browns’ decision to give up on him looks worse. What was supposed to be a long-awaited turnaround has instead become another chapter in Cleveland’s two-decade cycle of dysfunction.

Mayfield, once cast out of Cleveland, now stands on the doorstep of football immortality — and it’s hard to imagine a more poetic twist.

MVP Race Snapshot (Week 7)