Getty Images Rashard Higgins of the Cleveland Browns.
Rashard Higgins had to tell a fan to chill after he called him out for not putting out a public message on social media supporting Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield prior to his surgery.
The now-deleted message from the fan criticized Higgins for celebrating former teammate Odell Beckham Jr. for his strong playoff performance but not giving his quarterback some words of encouragement following surgery on a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder.
I texted him,” Higgins said in response. “Everything dont gotta be social.”
I texted him … everything dont gotta be social.
After a losing season, every interaction by Browns players is being dissected and talked about on social media. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said at the end of the year that he’d rather his players don’t spend as much time on those platforms.
“I would tell you, I do not know – maybe there is a metric for this – that our team is on social media more than others. I know that is the generation right now,” Stefanski said. “I think you just have to be very careful. 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.”
Beckham Saga Still Polairizng Topic in Cleveland
The Browns ugly breakup with Beckham hit the locker room hard, creating what seemed to be a division among players. And Beckham’s big playoff debut with the Rams was a sign he still had many allies in Cleveland, with more than a handful of players hitting on the point that OBJ has still got it. Beckham caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, adding a 40-yard completion on a trick play.
The breakup with Beckham was propelled by his father going on social media at the trade deadline and calling out quarterback Baker Mayfield for not getting the three-time Pro Bowler the ball.
“Deliberately not throwing the ball to an extremely talented player that I’ve put in a lot of work with? It’s an opinionated statement, I’ll say,” Mayfield told reporters. “I’ve had conversations with his dad before, man-to-man, face-to-face. And I was pretty surprised by the video and the intentions and the feelings behind it. I would be lying if I said otherwise.”
With Beckham not dealt at the deadline, the team was nearly forced to cut the mercurial pass-catcher, opening the way for him to sign with the Rams. He’s already caught six touchdowns in Los Angeles, compared to just seven during his entire tenure in Cleveland.
Baker Mayfield Eager to Return Following Surgery
Mayfield is coming off his most inconsistent season as a pro, tossing 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, limping to the finish line due to his banged up shoulder and some other ailments that slowed him during the year.
Mayfield had successful surgery on the shoulder this week and shared a message for his supporters following the procedure.
“This is not the end of my story,” Mayfield said. “It’s just going to be one of those little things that I’ll look back and remember that’s one of those challenges and adversity that I’m going to try to take advantage of me, and it’ll make me a better person.”
Mayfield is expected to make a full recovery in 4-6 months. The Browns anticipate Mayfield to begin light throwing in April and participate in the offseason program on a limited basis. A full recovery is expected by the start of training camp.