Getty Baker Mayfield is pumped up after the Odell Beckham trade.
It’s been proven time and time again that Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has no problem responding to critics. More specifically, he won’t back down from someone who makes statements that call out his character or play. And on Wednesday, we saw that happen once again, as one analyst opted to essentially peg Mayfield as some type of a problem.
During a radio spot, Jason Smith of FOX Sports had strong words about Mayfield, stating that coaching him “is not something that appeals to successful head coaches.” And in perfect fashion, the Browns quarterback responded by simply laughing at the quote.
For good measure, it’s not as if this one line was the only thing that stood out from the comments. Beyond that, there’s nothing taken out of context, as the headline of the radio session on The Jason Smith Show is “Baker Mayfield Makes The Browns Job Less Desirable.”
Smith’s attempted point is that Cleveland’s head coaching search came down to interim offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. He continued to say that Mayfield “already has killed one coach” in Hue Jackson.
Baker Mayfield’s Rookie Success
The No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft wrapped up the season with 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns and a 63.8 completion percentage over 14 games. The Browns went 7-7 in the games Mayfield played and he finished the year with a 3-1 mark while throwing nine touchdowns and four interceptions down that last stretch.
Mayfield put his mark on the NFL right out of the gate and hasn’t slowed up since. After taking over during the New York Jets game in Week 3, the Browns drastically improved across the board and he immediately proved to be a legitimate NFL Rookie of the Year candidate.
Simply put, the 23-year-old quarterback made his team better and was not the reason Jackson was fired early on in the year. It’s probably a safer bet to assume the actual reason for that had something to do with the 3-36-1 record Cleveland’s former coach posted over his two and a half seasons.
Baker Mayfield’s Feud With Colin Cowherd
While there have been a few back-and-forths between Mayfield and host of ‘The Herd’ on FOX Sports, Colin Cowherd, it all stemmed from one incident last year. Cowherd attempted to call out Mayfield for his celebration during one collegiate game, and the Browns quarterback quickly and strongly defended himself.
Not surprisingly, the bulk of NFL fans loved seeing this from Mayfield, as it was a bit unfair to show that short clip without looking at the bigger picture. Mayfield pointed out that he celebrated with teammates on the prior touchdowns and that he went to the Oklahoma fans who traveled to watch the team play after the score. But Cowherd and company decided not to show any of those moments.
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