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Carolina Panthers wide receiver Robby Anderson was quick to shut down the narrative that he has beef with his new quarterback Baker Mayfield following his team’s long-anticipated trade for the Cleveland Browns.
Anderson took to Twitter following the move for Mayfield to respond after some of his comments from this offseason went viral.
“I don’t have an issue with Baker stop tryna paint that narrative,” Anderson wrote, tweeting the clip from his press conference where he discussed his thinking.
Anderson said he was “thinking out loud” with his social media comments on Mayfield, one which read “Noooooo” in regards to a move for the former top pick.
“Just trying to be a good teammate to my quarterback, that’s it,” Anderson told reporters in a June 15 press conference. “Just trying to defend the guy who is my quarterback in a sense. You know what I’m saying? That’s it.
“I mean, that’s my quarterback. I’ve got to make him right and stand up for him. … I said what I said. That’s just my thinking out loud. My thought.”
Anderson’s comments could make things quite awkward, depending on how Mayfield took them. He’s one of the team’s top options in the passing game alongside DJ Moore, totaling more than 1,600 yards since landing in Carolina in 2020.
Mayfield Takes Pay Cut to Land With Panthers
The Panthers and Browns finally pulled the trigger on the deal for Mayfield, which has been discussed basically since Deshaun Watson landed in Cleveland via a blockbuster deal in March. The sticking point was Mayfield’s salary, which was set to be $18.8 million.
The Panthers will pay just $4.85 million of Mayfield’s salary, while the Browns will pay $10.5 million, per ESPN. Mayfield converted the leftover money into incentives, which he can earn during the season.
A conditional draft pick was also involved and the Browns will receive a fourth- or fifth-round pick in 2024, contingent on Mayfield’s playing time in Carolina. It’s assumed Mayfield will be the starter in Carolina, taking over for Sam Darnold.
The Panthers dealt for Darnold — the No. 3 pick the same draft as Mayfield — last season but he didn’t have a great debut year in Carolina. He passed for 2,527 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 12 games with the Panthers last season.
Mayfield completed 60.5% of his passes last season for 3,010 yards, 17 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. He played most of the season with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder, suffering the injury while trying to make a tackle in Week 2 against the Texans. He had surgery to repair the injury this offseason but will be a full participant when training camp rolls around.
Browns Thank Mayfield for Contributions After Trade
While Mayfield’s career in Cleveland ended on a sour note, he still meant a lot to the franchise that took him with the top overall pick in 2018. He helped lead them to their first playoff win in more than two decades in 2020 and helped change the culture in Cleveland.
Following the move, the Browns thanked Mayfield for his contributions to the franchise.
“From the moment he was drafted, he gave his all for this organization and this city,” Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. “With his fierce competitive spirit, he excited the fanbase and accomplished things that no player at his position had done in Cleveland for a very long time.”
The Browns will face Mayfield in the Panthers in Week 1.
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