Getty Baker Mayfield
Brett Favre was one of the NFL’s greatest gunslingers and fans never knew what the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame quarterback would do next on the field.
While frustrating at some points, Favre was a player that wanted the ball in his hands at the end of a game, and more often than not, he made something happen. That’s what made him a Hall of Fame talent.
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. prides himself on being a football junkie and has said Favre was one of his favorite players to watch growing up.
After spending some time at minicamp and in the offseason catching ball from second-year quarterback and former Heisman winner Baker Mayfield, OBJ can’t deny the similarities between the two.
“I watch football. I really, really watch football,” Beckham told reporters at minicamp on Wednesday. “And that is a good comparison in my eyes. I loved Brett Favre growing up and Baker has a lot of similarities to him. You put the highlights together and it looks the same.”
Beckham initially made the statement in an interview with GQ’s Cam Wolf that ran in early May.
“He’s Brett Favre — he’s going to be a Hall of Famer.”
Beckham and Mayfield have been working on their connection at minicamp this week, which was the first mandatory set of workouts this offseason for the Browns. It will wrap up after Thursday’s practice and OBJ might relish the opportunity to rest his hands.
“I’ve watched Baker since Oklahoma … he’s got an arm,” Beckham said. “I have to get adjusted to the speed. He’s throwing that ball hard. Just catching them from him the first day it was completely different.”
Beckham will have some time to adjust to Mayfield’s throws. As he pointed out, the Browns don’t play a game that counts until September and he plans to get in some work with Baker on the West Coast.
“We have a lot of time to build chemistry,” he said. “We’re both going to be in LA, throwing every day, going over the plays, going over the nuances, the little stuff above the X’s and O’s.”
Mayfield has a long way to stack up to catch Favre’s HOF resume. The Green Bay legend made 11 Pro Bowls, was the named the MVP three times and won a Super Bowl.
But OBJ is more than ready to help Mayfield along the way.
“Hopefully I can help him put up numbers and win championships,” Beckham said. “But in my eyes he has the talent to do whatever he wants to do.”