Browns QB Baker Mayfield Ripped by Hall of Fame QB Over Trade Drama

Getty Images Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Hall of Famer Steve Young has no sympathy for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield despite his current predicament of being caught in no man’s land.

Young was asked about the former No. 1 overall pick while appearing on “The Rich Eisen Show” this week and put Mayfield on blast for playing the victim.

“You can’t play the victim,” Young said on Monday’s edition of the show. “Victimization has to be put in a bottle and buried in the ground and deep because it’s too easy to play the victim. Look, there are a lot of things out of your control and a lot of things you’ve done wrong. You cannot, in the NFL, survive and play the victim. You have to now leave it behind and own every bit of it. Own it. Own every mistake you’ve ever made. Own how you got here. Don’t blame other people. You got yourself here.”

Mayfield was essentially kicked to the curb by the Browns after they completed a blockbuster trade for Watson. However, his $18 million-plus guaranteed salary has made life difficult for the Browns, with no teams willing to bite on a trade. Mayfield remains with the team and there’s potential for things to get very awkward when training camp rolls around.

“He’s gotta be at training camp,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday. “Training camp would be awkward. I’m sure he will show up. … It’s all awkward. I think in the end they can come up with a situation that both sides agree with, but it is going to be weird until they get to that point.”

Mayfield Has Said He Feels ‘Disrespected’ By Browns

Mayfield has remained relatively quiet about his situation this offseason, although he’s made significant waves the few times he’s spoken up.

“Yeah the respect thing is all going to be a personal thing, but yeah, I feel disrespected. 100 percent,” Mayfield said during an appearance on the “Ya Neva Know: you know what I mean?“ podcast in April. “I was told one thing, and they completely did another. That’s what I’m in the middle of now. And you know what? OK. I got my taste of it, because I’ve had four different head coaches in four years. A bunch of different coordinators.”

Young said he thought Mayfield should stop making statements like that and instead “own it” to send a signal to potential suitors that he’s ready to make amends with stellar play.

“If you own it, that would go a long way for everybody to feel like Baker Mayfield can make the elements of a comeback,” Young said. “You can’t get there in the spirit of victimization. It can’t happen.”

Baker Mayfield Has Shown Upside as Starter

Mayfield’s four-year stretch in Cleveland was a mixed bag. After tying the rookie touchdown record during his first season in just 14 starts, he led the team to their first postseason berth in nearly two decades in 2020. However, last season Mayfield tossed just 17 touchdowns to 13 interceptions, slumping down the stretch as the team finished 8-9.

He had surgery this offseason to repair a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder that bothered him for most of the year and promised to come back stronger.

“I checked that box off to get this fixed and now it’s on the way to the road to recovery,” Mayfield said in January. “This is one of those steps to get back to my true self. This past year hasn’t been very easy.”

Mayfield is in the final year of his rookie deal, so being able to get on the field and put together some strong play will be big for his future in the NFL.

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