Baker Mayfield joins exclusive club after trade to Panthers

Baker Mayfield and John Elway really shouldn't be in the same sentence as one another, yet here we are.

One is a multi-time Super Bowl champion. The other, Mayfield, was given up on by the Cleveland Browns, who ultimately secured his replacement in Deshaun Watson. Yes, Deshaun Watson, who may not even play this season depending on a league investigation into his multiple off-field and legal transgressions.

The Browns rolled the dice on Watson because when he's on the field, he's a top-five player at his position. They drafted Mayfield No. 1 overall back in the 2018 NFL Draft to be that guy. Despite leading the organization to the playoffs in 2020, though, he's been an oft-injured disappointment.

The writing was on the wall that Mayfield's time in Cleveland was done when Watson signed on the dotted line. The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner's era with the Browns officially ended with the trade to the Panthers, though. The Browns traded Mayfield to Carolina for a 2024 5th-round pick, a pick that converts to a 4th-rounder if Mayfield plays 70% of the Panthers' snaps in 2022.

So where does Elway fit into all of this? 

Well, he's on a short list that Mayfield joined on Wednesday: No. 1 overall draft picks who were no longer with the team that drafted them before five years had passed. The list is a mixed bag if you're looking to project what joining it means for Mayfield's future. There's the Hall of Famer in Elway, but there's also Jamarcus Russell, who is thought of as one of the biggest NFL Draft busts of all time. Journeyman Jeff George is the other player on the list. 

Mayfield's long-term career trajectory is still up in the air. He may be in a valley, but he's far from the first No. 1 overall quarterback to lose the faith of his team before five years went by, even if not all of those teams parted ways with their underwhelming quarterbacks. 

Elway went on to an elite career, while George hung around for 12 seasons and led the league in passing yards in 1997. It will be up to Mayfield to write the rest of his story and determine how he compares to the other names on this short list.