Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Baker Mayfield is taking a break from social media, but the Cleveland Browns quarterback still managed to become a topic of conversation this week.
Ransom Everglades School tweeted a photo of Mayfield on February 22 after he visited the school to motivate its boys’ soccer team, which was headed to the Florida Class 3A state championship game on February 24. Ransom Everglades lost 2-0 to Tampa Prep.
It was a rare shot of Mayfield, who had been mostly been MIA since the Browns’ season ended on January 9.
RE’s state-championship-bound boys’ soccer team got some encouragement today from Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield! @REproud @bakermayfield
Driving conversation about one of the images was the absence of a sling or brace on Mayfield’s non-throwing shoulder, for which he underwent surgery on January 19.
“No sling, healing well!” one commenter wrote. “Good to see for our move to the top of the North!”
While the sling wasn’t present in one photo, it appeared Mayfield was wearing it in one of the group shots. The school’s tweet attracted over 700 likes. The number of likes on most Ransom Everglades tweets is in the single digits.
Mayfield Announced Break From Social Media
In 2022, Mayfield will enter the most important season of his career, one that likely will shape his NFL future. The former top overall pick is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Browns have to make a decision on whether he’s their quarterback of the future.
What didn’t help Mayfield this offseason was his reading criticism of him on social media. Two days after he liked a January 23 tweet from Cleveland media personality and former NFL player Dustin Fox, who criticized him, Mayfield announced his social media exit.
“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 had warned against social media use after the season ended.
“I think you just have to be very careful,” Stefanski said in a January 10 press conference. “I think everybody has to be very careful with social media because there is a lot – like we have discussed before – a lot of it is background noise. I think you just have to be careful with what you put out there because once it is out there, it is out there forever.”
Mayfield After Surgery: ‘This Is Not the End’
The expected recovery time for Mayfield’s surgically repaired shoulder is four to six months. The Browns released a statement on January 19 saying Mayfield would begin light throwing in April. The team said he should be able to participate in the offseason program on a limited basis and a full recovery is expected by the start of training camp in July.
Mayfield gutted through the injury last season, which didn’t also produce the best results. Mayfield passed for 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and the Browns finished the year at 8-9. He said after the surgery that he expected to bounce back and be better than ever.
“This is not the end of my story,” he said in an Instagram video posted January 19. “I checked that box off to get this fixed and now it’s on the way to the road to recovery. This is one of those steps to get back to my true self. This past year hasn’t been very easy.”