Baker Mayfield, one of the NFL’s most polarizing players, has no plans to change his attitude or his behavior anytime soon. Deal with it.
The Browns quarterback all but admitted Wednesday that he did, in fact, stare down Bengals assistant Hue Jackson after completing a 66-yard pass to tight end David Njoku on the final drive of Cleveland’s 26-10 win over Cincinnati on Sunday.
Jackson was fired as head coach of the Browns back in October, after which he joined Marvin Lewis’ staff in Cincinnati. The decision to join a division rival didn’t sit well with Mayfield, who initially downplayed his staredown of Jackson after Sunday’s game before changing his tune Wednesday.
“I don’t get why people have a problem with football being a competitive sport,” Mayfield told reporters. “You’re supposed to play with emotion, you’re supposed to play with passion. Quite honestly, if you don’t like it, whatever. Football’s not meant to be a soft game. Could care less.”
Mayfield definitely plays with an edge that’s unique among NFL quarterbacks. It’s hardly a new development, though, as the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner was peppered with questions about his antics prior to being selected No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
For Mayfield, it comes down to being comfortable in his own skin. While he might draw the ire of opponents, fans and pundits alike from time to time, the 23-year-old is confident in his skills, his leadership and his willingness to “take a bullet” for his teammates. The outside perceptions about him are just noise, and the uproar over Sunday’s staredown is no different in the rookie’s eyes.
“Everybody is competitive in a different way,” Mayfield told reporters Wednesday. “I’m not trying to be anybody else. I’ve been who I am. That’s gotten me here. And I’m going to continue to do that because I try and improve every week and I have that same mindset.
“So, that’s why I said a few weeks ago (that) I’m not trying to get anybody’s approval. I’m trying to win football games and do this for as long as I can. That’s the goal. And the guys inside this locker room know that. They know that I would fight for them. They know that I would take a bullet for them. To me, that’s what matters.”
It looks like the Browns finally have a franchise quarterback in Mayfield, who will enter this Sunday’s Week 17 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens with 3,349 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions through his first 13 NFL games. They also have someone who’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, even if it proves unpopular in some circles.