Baker Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and at the time, he was exactly what the Cleveland Browns needed. They had gone 635 days without a win before he came in and opened their "Victory Fridge" by knocking off the New York Jets in his first appearance. Mayfield even guided the Browns to the postseason in 2020 as they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road.
Then in 2021, it all came crashing down. Mayfield suffered a shoulder injury in Week 2 and was never the same. Eventually, he was out — and Deshaun Watson was in. Since then, Mayfield has bounced around but found a home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He's happy there and even signed a three-year extension worth up to $115 million. But he still gets asked about his time in Cleveland — and as is often the case with Mayfield, he didn't hold back when the subject was brought up on Pardon My Take.
Mayfield admits he was stubborn by refusing to have surgery and playing through the pain. However, he added that he wouldn't have changed a thing.
Baker Mayfield bought into Cleveland culture
One statement that stood out was Mayfield saying he was trying to fight through the pain since he felt a connection to the Cleveland community, which he said had a "blue-collar attitude."
He quickly added that he wasn't blaming the city but wanted to be there for them. There will be complaints that this wasn't the case but Mayfield always came off as someone who loved the community he played in. That's why it's not hard to believe that he pushed through partly to live up to their expectations of him — or at least what he believed their expectations were.
As for his departure, there's still a case to be made that the Browns were the ones who failed him.
Either way, his tenure was better than most remember. He finished with a record of 29-30 (should be 30-30 due to the Jets win) and is fourth in franchise history with 14,125 yards passing and fifth with 92 touchdowns.
