Three years ago, the Cleveland Browns made a huge mistake-one of many in their history, especially since returning to Cleveland in 1999. At that time, they threw Baker Mayfield away after a bad season to give Deshaun Watson a $230 million fully guaranteed contract, which at the time was the largest in NFL history.
Baker Mayfield was a first-round pick for the Browns in 2018 and gradually became important in putting the franchise back on the competitive map-especially during the 2020 season when Kevin Stefanski arrived as head coach. That year, the Browns made the playoffs and even won a game in the postseason-against the Pittsburgh Steelers, no less.
It was the Browns’ first playoff win in 26 years. The following season saw a decline in performance and injuries that wore Mayfield down, and that was enough for the team to throw him away for nothing to the Carolina Panthers. Today, he’s a star for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the Browns are a team without direction.
Baker Mayfield recalled his rivalry with the Bengals
Today, Baker Mayfield plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he is the team’s biggest star. Last season, he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdown passes, and was even considered for the MVP award. Without a doubt, he’s one of the players to watch this coming season.
Of course, there will always be memories from his time with the Cleveland Browns, where he was beloved by the fans-and they surely miss him. On the Pardon My Take podcast, Baker Mayfield recalled his rivalry with the Bengals, where the former Oklahoma Sooner had some big moments.
“Yeah. Like every time we played Cincinnati when I was in Cleveland, I felt like, ‘Alright, I’m about to have 300 yards’. It’s a great feeling,” Mayfield said.
Baker Mayfield had a 6-1 record against the Bengals, and against the now Joe Burrow-led team, he threw 19 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. As things stand, the Browns probably miss him more than ever.
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