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The first quarterback target for Cleveland Browns star pass-rusher Myles Garrett this season will be a familiar face in Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield and Garrett were back-to-back No. 1 overall picks by the Browns in 2017 and 2018, helping shift the culture in Cleveland, the highlight being a playoff win during the 2020 season — the franchise’s first in a quarter century.
The Browns parted ways with Mayfield during the offseason after an ugly and dragged-out divorce but Garrett doesn’t carry any ill-will towards Mayfield.
The Week 1 matchup against Mayfield will be business as usual for Garrett as he looks to start the season out on the right foot.
“He’s my former teammate,” Garrett told reporters on August 23. “There’s no rivalry between me and him and there’s no rivalry between the Panthers and the Browns. Yes, he was here but that doesn’t mean I have an added sense of urgency to get to him. I want to play my best and whatever’s in the cards, that’s it for me. If I can help my team win. If I can put them in the best position to win, I’m going to do that and if I can get a couple sacks along the way, I would kind of enjoy that too.”
Garrett Doesn’t Consider Familairty as Huge Advantage
The Browns obviously know Mayfield better than most, having seen him in practice the last four seasons — the last two under the current regime of Kevin Stefanski and Co.
But Garrett doesn’t see that as a huge advantage when it comes to his preparation.
“I don’t think it really matters,” Garrett said. “Just because, he has tendencies, I’m sure he likes to throw the ball in certain spots along the field. But he has different targets, he has a different line, so he’s going to have to change as well. He has different coaches who are going to work with him on those things that they’ve seen that he likes to do. So I’m sure we’re going to see not a completely different Baker, but someone who’s worked on some of his weaknesses and like I said, his tendencies, to be a more complete player and diversify himself.”
What’s clear is that Mayfield will have a clear expectation that Garrett will be in his face. He’s coming off a season where he collected a franchise single-season record 16 sacks and his pass-rush buddy Jadeveon Clowney has also looked sharp in camp.
Mayfield Clear Matchup With Browns Carries Extra Meaning
While Garrett has downplayed the matchup, Mayfield has been clear since being named the starter that seeing his former team in Week 1 carries some extra weight.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of attachment there,” Mayfield told reporters on Monday. “I’m not going to sit here and be a robot and say it doesn’t mean anything. It will.”
It’s an important year for Mayfield, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. He’ll have an opportunity to prove he can be the long-term option in Carolina or elsewhere after an injury-riddled season in Cleveland.
Mayfield dealt with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder for the majority of the season, suffering the injury while trying to make a tackle in Week 2 following an interception. He completed 60.5% of his passes for 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns against 13 interceptions.
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