Former Browns QB Rips Baker Mayfield Over Duke Johnson Comments

Josh McCown hasn’t been at ESPN long following his retirement from the NFL earlier this month. But the NFL journeyman QB is making his thoughts known about the situation at one of his many former stops.

McCown — who started 11 games for the Cleveland Browns at QB from 2015-16 — hasn’t been a big fan of Baker Mayfield’s comments on Duke Johnson Jr. In one of his first spots on NFL Live, McCown ripped Mayfield for the precedent he set with those words.

“I’ve been in a locker room with Duke Johnson. Duke Johnson is a pro’s pro — I love that guy. To make those kind of comments and do it publicly … if you have a problem, go to him privately,” McCown said. “To do it publicly, I understand the quarterback is the face of the franchise and he’s trying to send the head coach’s message and the organization’s message, but at the end of the day, that’s a close line you’re crossing. And you don’t want to do that to a guy. Then the other guys in the locker room start looking around and say, ‘am I next?'”

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Johnson requested a trade from the Browns this offseason after the team picked up free agent running back Kareem Hunt, seeing his role in the offense shrink significantly.

At Browns minicamp, Mayfield was asked about if things would be awkward for Johnson after the request and he had a straight-forward response.

“It’s not awkward. It’s self-inflicted,” Mayfield said. “I hope he does his job.

“Obviously, he’s going to handle his stuff how he wants, but you’re either on this train or you’re not — it’s moving,” Mayfield added. “You can get out of the way or you can join us.”

It’s not the first time McCown has been on the record this offseason praising Johnson. In a conversation with The Atheltic’s Tom Reed, McCown was asked about what kind of weapon Johnson could potentially be for the team if he sticks around.

“With a group of weapons like that, to be able to use him underneath, he would be a huge asset,” McCown said. “Somebody will find the right way to utilize him, and hopefully that’s Cleveland.

“Even if he’s frustrated, he’s going to work hard and do what’s best to help his team play well,” McCown added in the interview. “That’s the kind of character that Duke has. … I’m a big, big Duke Johnson fan.”

Johnson had 47 receptions for 429 yards and three touchdowns last season. While he does most of his damage in the passing game, Johnson added 40 carries for 201 yards on the ground. His number of carries and catches were career lows. However, he did post a career-best 7.2 yards per touch.

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