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Baker Mayfield has had a rollercoaster beginning to his NFL career. The 2018 number one overall pick faces an uncertain future after an injury-ridden 2021 campaign for the Cleveland Browns.
On Friday's episode of ESPN's First Take, Mayfield received a diss from former NFL player Ryan Clark.
In a conversation initially centered on Odell Beckham Jr., Clark slighted Mayfield for not taking heat for Beckham's struggles with the Browns. Clark went as far as to say Mayfield is only good at making commercials. Clark said,
“I think that's a great take. Listen up. Kimberly A hater. I need you to listen up a little bit right? Don't ever use the Cleveland Browns as our litmus test for any damn thing. So what they won some games without Odell Beckham Jr. down the stretch last year? We saw what that team truly was this year. Everybody was all excited ‘Oh, they got rid of Odell Beckham. Now. Baker Mayfield is really going to show you what he's worth.’ All Baker Mayfield showed that he was good at is making damn commercials. So I'm not gonna let you come over here and continue to make Odell Beckham Jr. sound like the problem. He absolutely proved that he could be a number one.”
Whether Beckham is a number one wide receiver or not is a different debate for another time.
That said, Beckham's reputation and image have been mended as he's slotted in very nicely as the Los Angeles Rams' number two wide receiver.
Meanwhile, Mayfield saw his play decline sharply during the second half of the season.
Baker Mayfield faces an uncertain future with the Browns
Baker Mayfield's future is as uncertain as any quarterback involved in this offseason's quarterback carousel. The 26-year-old will be playing on his fifth-year option in 2022.
But whether that's with the Browns or another team is an unanswered question.
Since the Browns' offseason began, Mayfield has posted cryptic messages hinting his time in Cleveland could be up.
Reports that he hasn't communicated with general manager Andrew Berry have furthered speculation amongst fans that the former Heisman Trophy winner could be on his way out.
The Browns have a solid roster capable of making a deep run in the postseason. Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett headline a talented roster that lacks a quarterback to reach its fullest potential.
The NFL's free agency period begins on March 16. This means that Mayfield's future will begin to become evident sooner rather than later.
