Notorious Baker Mayfield critic Colin Cowherd came to his rival’s defense Wednesday when the quarterback was most vulnerable.

Tuesday night, Mayfield issued a statement on Twitter, addressing the uncertainty surrounding his future with the Cleveland Browns, while thanking the fans and the city for embracing him throughout the first four seasons of his NFL career.

Currently, Mayfield remains the Browns quarterback, but his message sounded like a heartfelt goodbye as rumors spiral regarding the team’s interest in acquiring Deshaun Watson. Surprisingly, the decision to pour his heart out on Twitter was lauded by Cowherd, who called it the “smartest move he has made in his career.”

“How the hell do you not root for him?” Cowherd asked. “Right now, he’s got a severed relationship with the Cleveland media, a severed relationship with the fans. He just poured his heart out.”

Cowherd and Mayfield have a longstanding rivalry, with the Fox Sports Radio host often finding reasons to criticize Cleveland’s quarterback. After originally labeling Mayfield as “undraftable,” Cowherd has blasted Mayfield for being a bad teammate, wearing a backward hat, and believing in aliens. But Mayfield’s vulnerability completely won Cowherd over Tuesday night.

“A lot of you guys out there, you got your big egos and the chip on your shoulders,” Cowherd continued. “When you’re vulnerable is when you have your power. When you say ‘I gave you everything, that’s when you get the loudest cheer. This is the single smartest thing Baker Mayfield has ever done.'”

[Fox Sports Radio]

About Brandon Contes

Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com