Many around the NFL criticized the antics, both on and off the field, of quarterback Baker Mayfield before and after the 2018 NFL draft. Many viewed him as an undersized and cocky gunslinger with an issue with authority and inability to hold his tongue. They were right about all of those things. They were wrong about what mattered most, his ability. Baker may not be the type of quarterback everyone wanted to fix the Browns, and he may be another example of today’s
Love it or hate, Baker will be Baker. Adored by Browns fans for delivering the team’s best record since 2007 after finishing with a .469 winning percentage and 3rd in the division. Baker demonstrated some interesting behavior this season and drew criticism from those outside of the Browns’ locker room and fanbase. But the truth is that Baker is
The 2017-2018 Heisman winner hasn’t changed in College and he won’t change in the NFL. Some say that his up-and-down emotional state will cost him in the long run and that an NFL Quarterback needs to be more emotionally monotone. But in big moments, both in games this past season and in big games at college, Baker has been a calming influence and a beacon of confidence for his teammates. The kind of calming that a quarterback should bring. And by way of rebuttal to those citing Baker’s attitude as cause for alarm, his antics and emotional state have never really cost his team a chance at winning. Take it or leave it, Baker lets nothing get in the way of winning, even himself.
That is why Cleveland has found its cocky, undersized, polarizing and emotional hero. He is not what Cleveland thought or wanted their franchise catalyst to be, but he has been exactly what the team and city have needed.