Seahawks: 3 things holding back a Baker Mayfield trade
By John Buhler
2. It remains to be seen how much of Baker Mayfield’s salary Seattle will take on
Piggybacking on the salary cap implications of trading for Mayfield, Seattle has to figure out the exact amount of his 2022 salary the Seahawks will be taking on. No, it is not going to be all of the $18.85 million owed to him for his player option, but it will be a significant portion of it. Are we talking a third of it, half of it, or closer to three-quarters? That number is the most important thing.
The more money Cleveland is willing to eat, the better it is for Seattle. Conversely, the more money the Seahawks are willing to take on, the better shot they end up beating out a team like the Carolina Panthers for his services. Ultimately, we are only talking about a separation of a few million dollars here. A salary split will be agreed upon and a trade will almost certainly be made.
What is significant in this is the more amount of money Cleveland is willing to eat, the more amount of cash Seattle can use to add to its roster elsewhere. While it would be more shocking than not if the Seahawks made the playoffs this fall, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll is too proud to put forth another whimper of a season in the twilight of his career. Mayfield will help them win.
Once the percentage split is agreed upon, then we are likely to see Mayfield traded this offseason.