Getty Images Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns.
Baker Mayfield has proven to be a lot of things during his tenure with the Cleveland Browns but immature is not one of them, per a new report.
The Browns have struggled to find a trade partner for Mayfield and NFL insider Jordan Schultz revealed on the Pat McAfee Show last week that the former to pick’s reputation might be playing a role.
“It progressively has got to this point. Two years ago he had a really good season and he was healthy,” Schultz said. “Then last season everything went into the dump. He cratered. The offensive line didn’t necessarily protect him, he had the shoulder problems and played through it. It was a nightmare.
“There is a sense around the league that Baker Mayfield is still a really immature guy & he hasn’t been the leader of that locker room” ~@Schultz_Report
“Bigger than that, fellas, is the lack of leadership on his part. Talking to players, coaches and GMs, “There is a sense around the league that Baker Mayfield is still a really immature guy and even if he’s healthy, do you really want to deal with that in your locker room. He has not been the leader of the locker room since Day 1. He’s never been able to get to that point.”
Rapoport Disputes Mayfield Immaturity Claim
Not everyone is buying the claim about Mayfield’s worthiness as a leader. Noted NFL insider Ian Rapoport disputed that claim on Monday, June 27 while also on McAfee’s show.
“I would take issue with one thing that Jordan Schultz said,” Rapoport said. “The immaturity thing – I don’t really know about that. I have not heard that with Baker. He’s brash, he’s pretty cocky, he’s very confident, but when he’s winning we all call it moxie and we say he’s got the right stuff to be a franchise guy. Then when he goes and plays on a torn labrum, probably should not have been playing, obviously affected his accuracy, seemed to affect his decision-making, and then we all say he’s immature. But he’s the same dude, so I don’t get all that.”
As Rapoport hinted at, Mayfield has had his moments over his career both in college and the pros that could be seen as brash. He’s sparred with media members, called out his critics and celebrated excessivley at times. But when the team was winning, those “dangerous” moments from Mayfield only added to his legend in Cleveland.
It’s a different story when the Browns are on the other side of .500. Last season the Odell Beckham Jr. drama split up the locker room and Mayfield even appeared to criticize the coaching staff late in the year. ESPN’s Jake Trotter characterized the situation with OBJ as “poisoning the well” for Mayfield, playing a part to his current predicament.
Browns Wanted ‘Adult’ at Quarterback
It’s not the first time that someone has taken aim at Mayfield’s maturity. When the relationship began to devolve, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said the team wanted an “adult” at quarterback going forward.
“The one thing I was told is that it’s just not a match emotionally,” Mortensen reported in March. “Whereas Baker Mayfield’s passion and emotional leadership was embraced at Oklahoma, and even in the beginning with the Browns, things have changed and they want what they consider ‘an adult’ at that position and that Baker Mayfield probably is going to be moved.”