Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken admitted that he thought he was going to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in 2023, when he was the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator.
Mayfield was a free agent in 2023, and the Ravens thought they had a strong offer to sign the two-time Pro Bowler to be their backup. Monken admitted that he was fired up about the chance to revive his career. Now, he will face off with the quarterback in Week 2.
“Heck, it was only four years ago when I was in Baltimore; we thought he was coming there to be our backup,” admitted Monken. “We thought after Carolina and the Rams that he was going to come to Baltimore, and I was fired up about it, and the good lord put him in Tampa.”
Monken coached Mayfield in 2019, when he was the Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator. Things did not go well, as Monken was under head coach Freddy Kitchens. The Browns went 6-10, and Monken was there for one year.
However, that has not stopped Monken from having a strong appreciation for Mayfield and how he revived his NFL career.
Cleveland Browns HC Todd Monken Gushes Over Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Baker Mayfield
Monken was quite aware that Mayfield has had four offensive coordinators in his four seasons with the Bucs. Despite that, the Browns head coach feels that Mayfield is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
“This is his fourth coordinator. That’s hard, man,” admitted Monken. “He’s been the one constantly playing there and has played at an elite level.”
Monken also discussed what he remembers about Mayfield as a player. He discussed a lot of intangible qualities that display the leadership level of the Bucs captain.
“He’s highly intelligent; you can just get the beginning of a call out of your mouth, and he’s already got it down,” recalled Monken. “He wants the game plan early so he can look at it at home, so he comes into the building prepared. “On the field, he is highly, highly competitive, and he holds himself to a high standard, and he holds others to a high standard, which is everything you are looking for in a player.
These are the same traits that had the Bucs intrigued by Mayfield. Mayfield discussed his leadership qualities as a reason he deserved a new contract with Tampa Bay. Monken made it clear that those aspects of his game are real.
Baker Mayfield Faces Former Team
This will be a big game for Mayfield. The former Heisman winner always plays with a chip on his shoulder. However, this week will mean more, as he faces off against the team that drafted him and did not invest in him afterwards.
They let him go to trade for Deshaun Watson, who will start across from Mayfield this week. Mayfield went 29-30 as a starter for the Browns. He has been 27-25 with the Buccaneers.
The Browns are 26-43 since letting Mayfield go. Mayfield will look to continue to show them how wrong they were.
Browns HC Makes Candid Baker Mayfield Admission