Getty Images Quarterback Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns kisses his wife, Emily.
Baker Mayfield has been in the crosshairs of critics the last few weeks and his wife, Emily Mayfield, has heard enough of the hate from Cleveland Browns fans.
Mrs. Mayfield penned a post on Monday in her Instagram story defending her husband and calling out those who put Sunday’s 47-42 loss on him.
“For all of you ‘fans’ who are blaming yesterday’s loss solely on Baker, wake up. It was one hell of a game and that game could have gone either way. He left it all on the field.
“You truly don’t know what you have. I have watched him give his all and change the entire culture in CLE, yet he gets so little credit for it. He never asks for recognition and continues to carry the weight day in and day out, despite the hate. If you’re a true fan, SUPPORT our guys. Baker, and everyone else. The hate does NOTHING for them.”
Emily Mayfield
After a tough performance against the Vikings, Mayfield bounced back against the Chargers, albeit the Browns were not able to wrangle the win. He passed for 305 yards, completing nearly 72 percent of his passes with a pair of touchdowns.
“I thought we were efficient in the pass game,” Mayfield said in his postgame press conference. “We just didn’t make the plays we needed to, so I’m not going to be happy about it. We didn’t win the damn game. That’s truly all that matters to me. I’m going to be hard on myself regardless. I didn’t do enough today to win the game.”
Mayfield in Midst of Critical Year With Browns
The pressure is turned up this year for Mayfield, who is hoping to ink a contract extension with the Browns before entering the final year of his rookie deal next season. There’s also the fact that the Browns are seen as a legitimate Super Bowl contender thanks to an NFL-best run game and a much-improved defense.
Mayfield dubbed his 155-yard, no touchdown performance against the Vikings as “piss-poor” and delivered his own message via social media after feeling some heat, mirroring much of what his wife said.
“People seem to forget how I got here,” Mayfield wrote in an Instagram story. “Nothing was given. Everything earned. Ups and downs. Came out stronger & better every time. God blessed me with the mental and physical strength to not only make it through adversity, but to also grow through those trials that nobody else could handle. I’ll always be striving to get better … which I will continue to have that mindset.
“Winning is the priority for me, always has been and always will be,” he added. “That’s why I was brought to Cleveland, to change that narrative and impact others along the way. That being said, we have a great group. I have their back and they have mine. I’m gonna battle for these guys every single week. On to the next challenge.”
Baker Mayfield Dealing With Shoulder Injury
The big story leading up to the matchup with the Chargers was that Mayfield was dealing with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, forcing him to wear a harness. The former No. 1 overall pick hurt that shoulder while trying to make a tackle on an interception against the Texans in Week 2.
Mayfield was adamant it was not the reason for his sloppy play and looked fine on Sunday.
Mayfield and the Browns will have a chance to bounce back at home next Sunday against Kyler Murray and the undefeated Cardinals. A win and solid performance in that game would go a long way in changing the narrative around everything happening in Cleveland.