Let's Set the Odds: Who Will Be Browns Starting QB in 2022?

Baker Mayfield and the Browns seem destined for a divorce after a disastrous season that saw each regress back to the mean, or in Mayfield's case, even worse. With one more year on his rookie deal and the Browns clearly in win-now mode, speculation abounds this is the time for Cleveland to cut ties with their former No. 1 overall pick and move on to greener pastures under center.

Easier said than done, of course, but where there's a will there's a way, and the Browns will must be feeling willful right now after Mayfield put up some of the worst stats of his career in year four. There isn't a ton of QB talent in the draft and free agency doesn't look hot either. Not the best time to need a star to push you over the top.

WynnBET doesn't have odds on who will start for Cleveland in 2022, but we can create some odds based on the information out there. Here's how I handicap who will be the Browns starting QB next season.

Odds to Be Browns Starting QB in 2022

Aaron Rodgers +1000

We'll throw Rodgers on this list simply because he's a hot name on the trade market, but the reality is Cleveland makes little sense for both sides. The Browns only have one first-rounder this year and not many players Green Bay would be interested in trading for. Yes, Rodgers would be out of the NFC (positive for Green Bay) and the Browns have enough talent to win a Super Bowl (positive for Rodgers), but the trade logistics make little sense. Still, he's a hot name, and we gotta give the people what they want.

Speaking of hot names...

Russell Wilson +500

This is a dream scenario for the Browns. Wilson instantly catapults them to Super Bowl contender and gives them the playmaker needed to win big games, something Mayfield hasn't proven capable of. With the Browns beast offensive line and star running backs, this is also a dream scenario for Wilson.

BUT...

Trading for Wilson be costly and he'll likely want a lucrative contract too. The Browns only have three picks in the Top 100 of the 2022 NFL Draft and other teams could offer the Seahawks a better package.

But if the Browns are all-in, they could trade away their first round pick this year and next and throw in a couple additional second/third rounders. There is a path, but the odds reflect the likelihood.

Mitch Trubisky +300

Sorry to be a Debbie downer after such a fun start, but it's time to get real. Trubisky could be a relatively hot commodity in the 2022 free agency quarterback market simply because there's not much out there and he has shown flashes of talent. He's kind of like Mayfield in that way: makes some good plays, makes some plays that leave you wondering how he's a quarterback in the NFL. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but the Browns may have to scrape the bottom of the barrel.

Ryan Fitzpatrick +250

If the Browns do decide to give Baker one more year but add some competition to the mix, Fitzpatrick seems like the perfect player to fill the role. He won't cost much, is a free agent and has some past experience winning. But he's also pushing 40 and coming off a season-ending injury. This isn't sexy but it seems somewhat likely.

Jimmy Garoppolo +175

Are Browns fans on suicide watch after these last three names? As I said, the pickings are slim and we gotta go based on the most likely scenario.

Jimmy G will be traded this offseason. The 49ers have little choice. They moved up to the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft and selected Trey Lance. We can argue if that was smart or not until next year. But they made their choice and now they have to live with it. That means shipping Jimmy G out to a team like Cleveland, one that needs a decent quarterback but doesn't want to break the (trade) bank to get one.

Despite his recent stint in Cali, Garoppolo is a cold-weather QB (Pats/Eastern Illinois) who thrives in an offensive manager role. He doesn't have delusions of being a playmaker (something Mayfield seems to believe) and could be a solid option for a Browns team built on the run and play-action pass. They could do worse.

Baker Mayfield -125

Insert crying emoji for Browns fans.

Mayfield sucked in 2021, throwing 13 picks against a career-low 17 interceptions. Odell Beckham forced his way out of Cleveland because he didn't want to play with Mayfield anymore and there were other reported issues with fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

Yet Mayfield is still under contract with the Browns for 2022 and the only way Cleveland can rid themselves of him without incurring over $18 in dead cap space is via trade. They won't get much in return following his disastrous season. Do they really want to cut bait now with such crummy options available?

With little else on the market in free agency, and needing a lot of trade assets to make a deal for the aforementioned big-name QBs, Mayfield remains the favorite to start for the Browns in 2022. They'll certainly bring in some competition, and perhaps they swing a massive trade, but the odds say Mayfield will start for them in 2022.