As rumors swirled of the Cleveland Browns’ interest in potentially trading for quarterback Deshaun Watson, current quarterback Baker Mayfield appeared to say goodbye to the franchise and its fans on Tuesday evening with a message posted on social media.
With many uncertainties, here is where my head and heart is. pic.twitter.com/psipN96cmh
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) March 16, 2022
“The past 4 years have been nothing short of truly life-changing since I heard my name called in the draft to go to Cleveland. This is not a message with hidden meaning,” Mayfield wrote. “This is strictly to thank the city of Cleveland for embracing my family and me. We have made many memories and shared growing in this process through all the ups and downs.”
While some in the media appreciated the sincerity in Mayfield’s statement, others see it as the latest attempt by an NFL quarterback to publicly dictate their way through a situation.
ESPN NFL analyst Tedy Bruschi appeared on “Get Up” on Wednesday morning and chimed in with his thoughts and how tired he is of NFL quarterbacks sending messages through social media and being so “sensitive.”
.@TedyBruschi on Baker Mayfield's post on IG 😳
"Every offseason, fellas, we're dealing with the feelings of QBs and how they get sensitive. Last year it was Aaron Rodgers … And all of a sudden Baker Mayfield? … Where's the Baker that had to earn everything?" pic.twitter.com/1Lx0e27fPh
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 16, 2022
“Every offseason, fellas, we’re dealing with the feelings of quarterbacks and how they get sensitive,” said Bruschi.” Last year it was Aaron Rodgers and how he’s dealing with everything, ad all of a sudden it’s Baker Mayfield. This didn’t have to be done. Baker talked about his silence, but sometimes silence is powerful. So, where’s the Baker that had to earn everything in college and everything he has?
“If this doesn’t work out for the Cleveland Browns, it’s almost better because Baker knows this and he should be pissed off that all this happened, then he goes out and has that right motivation. But this is definitely…the ripple effect of Deshaun Watson and what it does to various quarterbacks and the sensitivity…of those that play the position.”
Bruschi references the drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers, who reportedly contemplated retirement last season (and this offseason) before finally signing an extension with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers is known to be cryptic in his social media posts and squirm at any kind of criticism in the media.
The Browns seemed to be content to let Mayfield ride out the last year of his contract next season as a do-or-die situation for both sides. And while Mayfield has expressed excitement over returning next season as well, the “doomed relationship” between the two sides may have been pushed too far by the Watson reports, regardless of whether or not the team makes a trade.
Unfortunately for Buschi, this break-up and the drama around it is probably only just getting started.
[Get Up]