There is not anyone who was in more shock to see Baker Mayfield’s decline in year two with the Cleveland Browns than Oklahoma fans.
The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner had a three-game dip during his second year at Oklahoma and the Sooners started 1-2 to start the 2016 season because of it. Mayfield responded after the start, giving way to him and teammate Dede Westbrook to be invited to the 2016 Heisman Trophy ceremony.
He put a big target on himself in 2019—commercials, plenty of media appearances and more fighting back at talking heads and media that covered the Browns. Mayfield didn’t live up to his hefty bargain. He didn’t make a quick bounce back, and he said on Wednesday that it’s getting back to how he got to where he is at in the first place.
“I have a different approach to this year,” Mayfield told Cleveland Browns’ media on a Zoom conference call. “I think everybody who has been interviewed on our team has hit the nail on the head over and over about it is time to work. It is time to do our thing, instead of talking about it. This is the first media thing I have done just because there is no need to be talking about it. It is just time to go do it. Right now, it is kind of moving in silence, which is fine with me. That is how I used to do it before getting on a bigger stage so I am happy to get back to those roots and like I said earlier, get back to the fundamentals to where I can accomplish the goals when the season comes around.”
The Browns have done everything right since firing general manager John Dorsey. Cleveland is now led by an analytically driven general manager in Andrew Berry and calm, cool and keen head coach in former Minnesota Vikings’ offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski.
They added talented guard Jack Conklin and drafted highly-touted tackle Jedrick Wills. Cleveland got Austin Hooper to pair with David Njoku at tight end in a high tight end-usage offense.
But it all comes back to Mayfield.
“For me, it goes back to the mindset that I am comfortable and living in and that work-ethic mentality,” he said. “I think that fits it. There is no doubt Year 3 is always a big year in these contracts. Timing wise, everybody knows that. I am not going to put any added pressure on myself. There is no need for that because if I win, good things will happen and good things will happen for our team and the guys around me. That is the most important part. That is why quarterback is one of the positions that is the hardest in sports. If I play better, our team is going to do better. I put that pressure on myself. It does not matter what year it is. I have to play better each year.”
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