With each team finalizing their 53-man roster on Tuesday and only a few days away from the start of the NFL season, Baker Mayfield was asked about the Carolina Panthers‘ season opener against his former team, the Cleveland Browns.
Instead of giving reporters a generic response, Mayfield gave a harrowing soundbite, claiming he’s going to “f–k them up.”
While he doesn’t think less of his former teammate, Myles Garrett said that the team will use his statement as motivation.
“We’ll take it and we’ll use it, and I’m hoping for a great matchup,” Garrett said, per Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “I don’t think any less of him because he’s going out there and doing the same thing he did when he was with us. He’s the same guy personally, and maybe we’ll see a different Baker when we get on the field. Who knows?”
The All-Pro defensive end and Mayfield were together in Cleveland for four seasons and had no publicized issues with each other.
Garrett adds that the comment is nothing out of the ordinary for the former No. 1 pick, considering his personality.
“We’ve known he has that type of demeanor and that attitude, and for better or for worse, it works for him,” Garrett added. “And I’m not mad at him using that fire and that chip on his shoulder to help him play to the level he has. He’s been successful in what he’s done.’’
After embarking on a quarterback battle with Sam Darnold, Mayfield has officially been named the starter after he went down with an injury during the preseason.
We can only speculate what Mayfield we will see in Charlotte, but the game will be a must-watch for any NFL fan.