Mayfield Baker saw his name dragged through the mud in record time. Just a year ago, he was named the future of Cleveland Browns at the quarterback. He led the franchise to its first playoff victory in decades and was ready to sign a lucrative extension.
But for one reason or another, he entered 2021 trying to prove himself and get the best deal possible. He got injured, the team missed the playoffs, and that master plan came crashing down to Earth.
Yet things only got worse from there. The Browns went after Deshaun Watson, leading Mayfield to demand a trade. Once the Watson trade became official, the team ultimately decided to honor the former No. 1 overall pick’s request.
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In this process, Mayfield’s maturity was called into question. How did this become such a hot topic among NFL circles?
The Cleveland Browns openly attacked Baker Mayfield’s character
This all happened after the Browns attacked his maturity by leaking a report to ESPN saying the team wanted an “adult” at quarterback. So, talking heads jumped on the deal, and Mayfield’s maturity became a hot topic of conversation as the Browns searched for a trade.
Cleveland thus reduced his trade value at a time when they were desperate to get him off the roster as quickly as possible. ESPN’s Chris Mortenson, a trusted reporter for years, was the one who shared the “adult” comment. So it’s not like this came from a reporter or a random news source. This is coming from someone trusted and associated with the Browns.
It’s fascinating because the quarterback’s maturity was called into question when he was taken No. 1 overall by the team in 2018. But any concerns were considered great personality traits, until the team turns on him.
His own team calling out his character means other teams around the league are wondering why things went so bad. That means the question of his maturity will come up in trade discussions and follow him around until he gets another chance to prove himself as a starter in the NFL.
It’s the only way this will all go away. And even if he achieves early success, it may take years of sustained success in a new city for the maturity debate to finally fail.
Unfortunately, Mayfield isn’t the first Browns quarterback to tackle this issue. The team has shown dysfunction for decades, and the fact that they were okay with his actions until they didn’t want him anymore seems to say a lot about how the team operates at short notice. term.
Read also: NFL Rumors: Cleveland Browns Unlikely to Land Another Texans Star After Deshaun Watson Trade
