Getty Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Anyone who thought the Baker Mayfield-Daniel Jones feud was over was sorely mistaken.
While the players might have texted and made up, the New York media is dead set on making sure Mayfield’s out of context comments on the Giants rookie quarterback live on.
After Jones delivered another big preseason performance in the Giants 25-23 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, the New York Daily News decided to put Mayfield’s mug front and center on their back page.
“Daniel shows Mayfield that Giants CAN get what they want with another impressive game,” the newspaper wrote with the large headline “The Rolling Jones.”
Our @NYDNSports back page: Daniel Jones is impressive again in first game since Baker Mayfield ripped the Giants for taking him with the No. 6 pick. @PLeonardNYDN — Rain-delayed Mets-Indians plus Yankees-A’s still to come. — t.co/xn7RU8kzUX
Daniel Jones Responds to Mayfield’s Comments, Doesn’t Take Bait to Fire Back
Here’s what Mayfield was quoted as saying in GQ that drew the ire of the internet:
Near our booth, a SportsCenter segment about the New York Giants catches Mayfield’s eye. “I cannot believe the Giants took Daniel Jones,” Mayfield says, about New York’s much-maligned draft-day decision to spend the sixth pick on the quarterback from Duke (whose college record was a measly 17–19). “Blows my mind.”
I tell Mayfield that I’m mystified that so many supposedly expert quarterback scouts seem unable to predict what makes a good NFL quarterback.
“Some people overthink it,” Mayfield says. “That’s where people go wrong. They forget you’ve gotta win.”
Mayfield quickly responded on social media saying, “This is not what I said,” calling the story clickbait before responding at Browns practice the next day, saying that he had reached out to Jones to clear the air.
Jones responded himself to Mayfield’s comments in the postgame Thursday, acknowledging that Mayfield had sent him a text.
“I appreciate him reaching out. It’s all good — no worries,” Jones told Dianna Russini of ESPN. “I’m not going to hold that over him. It was a long time ago and I think some of what he said was misrepresented. All good with me. I look forward to running into sometime.”
Jones didn’t take the bait when asked by Russini if Mayfield should have been taken No. 1 overall.
“He’s a good player,” said Jones of Mayfield. “He had a good season last year and I look forward to watching him.”
In three preseason games, Jones has looked well worth the No. 6 overall pick. The Duke product is 25 of 30 for 369 yards and two touchdowns.
Baker Mayfield Will Have His Chance to Shine
GettyCleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield.
Hoping to put the drama behind him, Mayfield will have a chance to get on the field and be in his happy place as the Bucs
Mayfield has said that he’d like to play at least a half when the Browns travel down to Florida to take on Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Freddie Kitchens has noted he might not go by the preseason norms in terms of playing time for his starters and laughed when he heard about Mayfield’s hopes.
“He did? Everyone has an opinion on that now, right?,” Kitchens said. “You are trying to circumvent the system here, aren’t you? I will let him think that.”
Kitchens said the playing time is not a secret kept under lock and key, but that after a physical camp, the preseason contests don’t take on such a large degree of importance.
“It is not a secret. We are going to play our guys some. I do not know how long yet,” Kitchens said. “We have had a good camp. It has been a good, physical camp. These guys have embraced the fact that they feel like they have been doing some things that probably other teams have not been doing. It does not matter until you start playing the games. I recognize that.”
Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on NFL Network.
READ NEXT: Hue Jackson Delivers Brutally Honest Comments on Browns