Baker Mayfield Is Ready To Lead

If there was any doubt about the mutual embrace between second-year Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and the star-crossed franchise’s loyal fans, it was dispelled during — of all things — a recent Indians game at Progressive Field.

Fresh off the annual Orange and Brown Scrimmage at FirstEnergy Stadium, Mayfield suddenly appeared on the Jumbotron during a Saturday night Tribe game.

As if on cue, he finished a can of beer and gestured to someone for another. He then stood up, bit into the can and “shotgunned” the brew as the crowd roared.

When he was finished, Mayfield turned around to reveal he was wearing a Francisco Lindor jersey and gestured to further whip the fans into a frenzy. And, of course, the Indians immediately began a five-run outburst on their way to a victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Behold the “gets us” mentality of the Browns’ first legitimate contender for the title of franchise quarterback in more than 20 years.

One thing is clear — the Browns are Mayfield’s team after a record-setting rookie season. His playmaking abilities (a rookie record 27 touchdown passes in 2018 is bark-worthy) and brash demeanor have expectations at an all-time high for the Browns since their 1999 return.

The expectations are warranted after Mayfield helped halt the team’s 19-game losing streak.

But for the 24-year-old former No. 1 pick, expectations are nothing new.

“We had those expectations in high school,” the Austin, Texas, native says. “We had them at Oklahoma. I get it, now it is a bigger platform, so I would say that is the biggest difference.”

This summer, Mayfield fine-tuned his game and in the process, developed chemistry with new teammates. Head coach Freddie Kitchens says a sizeable group of Browns skill players, including Odell Beckham Jr., worked out with Mayfield in California around the time of the quarterback’s offseason wedding. 

Kitchens says Mayfield wasn’t content to rest on what he accomplished as a rookie.

“I think he has a better grasp of the offense,” says the first-year head coach. “Baker is just like everybody else. He needs to keep his head down and keep working.”

Mayfield has also embraced a leadership role. He called out teammates several times when things didn’t go as they should in training camp drills. Just as he offers no apologies for dust-ups with Hue Jackson last season after the coach’s firing, Mayfield has no problem being critical of teammates.

He views it as part of being a leader.

“They know I am going to push them,” he says. “It is nothing personal when it comes to getting after somebody, and I expect them to hold me accountable as well. That is the beauty of having guys that really want to win.”