Getty Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Baker Mayfield has been on a social media hiatus since January but the Cleveland Browns quarterback spoke up for the first time on his various channels on Tuesday.
The reason Mayfield decided to break his self-imposed social media ban was to give a shout out Oklahoma, which will be unveiling his statue during their spring game on April 23.
“Humbled and honored,” Mayfield tweeted. “See y’all on 4/23. #BoomerSooner.”
Most of the comments celebrated the Browns quarterback being back on social media and congratulating him on the honor. Mayfield won the Heisman in 2017, leading the Sooners to a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance. He completed 70.5% of his passes for 4,627 yards and 43 touchdowns during the campaign. Mayfield also issued a statement on the unveiling.
“I’m a Sooner for life and incredibly grateful for all of the success my teammates and I had at OU,” Mayfield said in a statement. “It’s humbling and surreal to think about having a statue in iconic Heisman Park. I can’t wait to be back in Norman and reunite with the most passionate fans in college football.”
Mayfield Exited Social Media After Spat With Radio Host
Mayfield’s social media exit came this offseason when he was under fire after a spectacular game between the Bills and Chiefs. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes played out of their minds during a 42-36 overtime game, combining for nearly 700 yards passing and seven touchdowns.
That prompted Mayfield to like a critical tweet from local media member and former NFLer Dustin Fox, which sparked further discussion before he eventually announced he would be stepping away from the online platforms.
“Getting off all social media for the foreseeable future,” Mayfield wrote on an Instagram Story on January 25. “Gotta do what’s best to focus on me, my family and loved ones. Appreciate all the support. Time to get right.”
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has talked about the pitfalls of social media for his players before and reiterated that recently at the NFL Combine.
“I am not speaking specifically to Baker – you guys have heard me say it before – I think social media can do a lot of great things, and it has done a lot of great things for our communities and for young people,” Stefanski said. “There are also some pitfalls in there that you want to make sure all of your players are aware of those and make sure that they are doing everything they can to put the team first.”
Browns Set to Roll With Baker Mayfield as Starter
Despite the rampant speculation about Mayfield’s future with the Browns, it appears that the team is ready to roll with a healthy version of the Heisman winner behind center.
Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reported on March 3 that the Browns met with Mayfield’s representatives and “reinforced” plans for him to be the starter next season. Cabot added that the Browns planned to explore their options, although many of the big-name quarterbacks — like Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers — figured out their situations on Tuesday. Wilson will head to Denver while Rodgers is staying put in Green Bay.
Mayfield had offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, so the Browns are hoping he can bounce back and prove he’s the long-term solution at QB in Cleveland.