Getty Browns QB Baker Mayfield.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has been under fire this week after finding himself at the center of another unnecessary controversy when he criticized how the team’s medical staff addressed an injury to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
“I’d say that it wasn’t handled right,” Mayfield told reporters after beating the Cincinnati Bengals 27-19 on Sunday. “I think it could’ve been addressed earlier on. … Looking back on it, obviously, hindsight is 20/20, he probably would’ve missed the first two [games]. One or two. Just based on the fact that it was during training camp. It is what it is. We’re here right now. It’s too late to do that.”
Mayfield apologized shortly after the incident on social media, but the damage was done as the haters came out of the woodwork to tear down the Browns No. 1 overall pick in 2018.
However, Mayfield received some interesting advice from an unexpected source when former NFL head coach Rex Ryan — who won Super Bowl XXXV as an assistant with the Ravens — delivered some wisdom on ESPN’s Get Up.
“Dude, don’t swing at every pitch just because you did 20 commercials in the offseason and you had almost a 50% completion rating against the Cincinnati Bengals — the worst pass defense in the league,” Ryan said. “It doesn’t give you the right to comment on the entire building. You don’t have to swing at it. Just let it go.”
Mayfield and Ryan have a bit of history dating back to earlier this season. Ryan called Mayfield “overrated as hell” and the QB had some shade for the unemployed skipper back.
“In the wise words of Freddie Kitchens, if you don’t wear orange and brown, you don’t matter,” Mayfield said. “And Rex Ryan doesn’t have any colors right now for a reason.”
Dan Orlovsky: Baker Mayfield Has Been Only ‘Part of the Problem’
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky also weighed in during the Get Up segment, ripping Mayfield for his antics with a passionate speech.
“Baker needs to understand the magnitude of his words. You are not at Oklahoma anymore. You are talking about grown men and their livelihoods. You were supposed to be the reason Cleveland flipped. You were supposed to be part of the change in Cleveland. You were drafted to be the guy to that was going to take this organization from a laughing stock to one of respect.
“Circumstances don’t create character, they reveal it. Your circumstances have not been good this year for Cleveland. Be a leader; be an organizer; be a difference maker for the positive for your team, not the negative. Baker, you were supposed to be the guy to change this organization for the good. You have only been a part of the problem.”
Former NFL Corner Orlando Scandrick Calls Baker Mayfield a ‘Joke’
Minus anything that’s happened off the field, it has not been a pretty year for Mayfield, who had MVP-level hype heading into the season.
He’s followed up his record-setting rookie season with a sub-par campaign, completing 59.2% of his passes for 3,109 yards, 15 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
Former NFL corner Orlando Scandrick, who most recently played with the Eagles this season, called out Mayfield while on The Herd With Colin Cowherd.
“Baker Mayfield has so much confidence and arrogance to have done nothing… He’s an interception machine and doesn’t do anything but rub people the wrong way.” — @OScandrick
“Baker is like a joke. He has so much confidence and arrogance to have done nothing,” Scandrick said. “At the rate he is going, I don’t see how Baker’s going to play eight, nine or 10 years. He’s an interception machine and doesn’t do anything but rub people the wrong way.”
Scandrick also gave his two-cents on the most recent drama with Mayfield surrounding his comments on the medical staff.
“That’s Baker,” Scandrick said. “He calls out Myles Garrett, who’s one of the best players on the team after he hits the guy with the helmet, when he could have taken the high road. He could have just said ‘that’s an unfortunate situation, we support Myles, it’s unfortunate for Mason.’ Instead, he always puts himself in the middle.”
As a polarizing figure who’s never scared to share his opinion, this won’t be the last time Mayfield finds himself in the crosshairs of the media and former players with opinions. However, as Beckham stated this week, winning solves everything.
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