Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (pictured above) was drafted no. 1 overall by Cleveland in the 2018 draft. Mayfield has led the Browns to a 4-6-1 overall record this season and has recently been scrutinized for his comments toward former head coach Hue Jackson (courtesy of creative commons).
Following the Cleveland Browns 35-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Nov. 25, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield had some choice words about his former head coach Hue Jackson, who is now a member of the Bengals coaching staff.
Mayfield tried to explain the awkward postgame handshake the two men shared.
“Left Cleveland, goes down to Cincinnati. I don’t know. That’s just somebody that’s in our locker room asking for us to play for him and then goes to a different team we play twice a year. Everybody can have their spin on it, but that’s how I feel,” Mayfield said, according to the New York Post. Mayfield’s attitude toward Jackson is unnecessary and unfair.
What Mayfield said may create a spark for his teammates and fanbase, but he is condemning Jackson for dealing with his circumstances in the best way he could. Jackson was fired by the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 29.
Jackson was halfway through his third season as the head coach of the team and his overall record was 3-36-1. The team’s performance during his tenure was dismal and the firing was justified, but Jackson did not choose to leave Cleveland. He was forced out and this is why Mayfield’s comments are out of bounds.
With such a poor head coaching resume, it is not likely that Jackson’s phone was ringing from teams calling to offer him coaching jobs. He took an opportunity to be an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Bengals; a team that happens to be the division rival of his former team, the Cleveland Browns.
If anyone puts themselves in Jackson’s shoes can they really admit they would have done anything different? Unemployed and devoid of many offers, Jackson grabbed at one of the few positions available to him. This is the issue with Mayfield’s comments. He has decided to condemn a man for trying to make a living after he was let go from his former position.
Mayfield’s comments have sparked serious controversy in the national media. ESPN analyst Damien Woody was critical of Mayfield on an episode of “First Take” on Monday Nov. 26. Woody stated that Mayfield needs to grow up and even inferred he was hypocritical because of his decision to switch from Texas Tech University to Oklahoma University during his college years.
Mayfield responded in an Instagram comment by saying, “Not even comparable—his transfer to Oklahoma—I didn’t lose 30+ games be fake and then do that … I wasn’t gonna have a scholarship. Good try though buddy.”
Mayfield’s comments actually seem to prove his hypocrisy. Mayfield was going to be devoid of a scholarship and Jackson was going to be devoid of a job. Both made decisions that were best for themselves despite having to go to rival teams.
Mayfield’s fiery attitude will continue to be a positive for the Cleveland Browns. He has given them an edge and swagger that they have not had in years. Hopefully in the coming months and years he continues to try and spark his team with comments like these, but in this instance he is wrong.
There is no need to condemn a man who only wanted the best for you in his time with you and took what might have been one of very few job offers. Mayfield should let this topic go and both he and Jackson should part ways respectfully whether they want to say it out loud or not.