If you look at the first four years of Drew Brees and Baker Mayfield’s careers, they are nearly identical. Can the next 16 be the same as well?

The jury is still out on Cleveland Browns quarterback, Baker Mayfield. Some are behind him all the way and are ready to give him the major extension. Who can blame them, the guy took a team that was the laughingstock of the league, and led them to their first playoff win since 1994.

As bad as the 2021 season has gone for the Browns this far, remember, they still have a good shot to get into the playoffs if they just win the final two games. It’s not far-fetched that the Chiefs beat the Bengals and the Rams beat the Ravens to set up an AFC title game next Sunday between the Browns and Bengals.

However, there are a lot of fans that are tired of seeing so much talent wasted. There are at least three games this season where an above-average quarterback gets you the win almost every time. A first down vs. the Chargers to not give them the ball back, or another 25 yards with a minute left and three timeouts to get in field goal range vs. the Packers are just two examples.

Because the quarterback play has been so bad since 1999, it’s easy to give Mayfield a pass. But for those that are ready to cut the rope, don’t forget about a guy by the name of Drew Brees who started his career in San Diego before ending as a future Hall of Famer with New Orleans.

And as pointed out in the above video, Mayfield and Brees are not that different when their early careers are compared.

Baker Mayfield vs. Drew Brees

Brees took over a bad team after not playing as a rookie and then eventually took the Chargers to the playoffs as his third year starting – while Mayfield started as a rookie, he too ended up in the postseason after his third season in that role.

Then in the fifth year of his contract, the team went 9-7, missed the playoffs and Brees suffered a shoulder injury – a torn shoulder labrum that required surgery. Does that sound familiar?

After not offering the “big deal” to Breese that offseason, he would leave the Chargers to go to the Saints, and the rest is history A Super Bowl, and one of the best passers the NFL has ever seen. Andrew Berry better be careful to not end up like the Chargers and let a Hall of Famer walk out the door.

No one is saying Mayfield will definitely be the next Drew Brees but maybe the notion that he too could become a star isn’t so far-fetched.