For the first time in multiple eons, the Cleveland Browns have not one, but two players they adore at quarterback.
Rookie Baker Mayfield has impressed the team during training camp, but head coach Hue Jackson remains adamant that veteran Tyrod Taylor, acquired from the Bills in March, will serve as Cleveland's starter.
That aligns with the thinking of general manager John Dorsey, who went so far as to suggest the Browns might even craft an extension for Taylor, who sits in the final year of his contract.
"I just want to see Tyrod do what he's done in the past. He's a natural born leader. He's had an excellent camp so far. I want to see it unfold. There may come a point here where I call his representatives in October and say, 'Let's strike something up,'" Dorsey recently told The Ringer's Kevin Clark.
An extension, though, would carve into the growth of Mayfield, who turns 24 next April. By comparison, Jets rookie Sam Darnold is just 21. Clark asked Dorsey if any sort of long-term pact for Taylor would "imply that Mayfield wasn't pushing him as the starter."
"Nah, let's deal with it when it happens," Dorsey said.
That's fair. Ultimately, this is summertime chatter emanating from a Browns camp that has seen both quarterbacks play well.
Taylor has checked all the boxes -- he's beloved by teammates and coaches -- but a quarterback drafted first overall will simply not be held back. Consider it a major upset if Mayfield goes wire-to-wire holding a clipboard in 2018. If he sits beyond that, it's fair to wonder what the Browns were thinking in picking him.
Cleveland, for the first time in ages, has options at the most important position in sports -- but options require the coaching staff and front office to deftly navigate the careers of two quarterbacks.
Not an easy task, but a welcome one for a Browns team with one win over the past 964 days.
