Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield still has questions about why the Cleveland Browns gave up on him after he played hurt throughout the 2021 NFL season.
“I think I’m still confused, too,” Mayfield said about the situation during a Friday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” as shared by Hunter Hodies of The Spun. “Towards the end there, I played in 2021 with a torn shoulder and I was excited to get surgery, get healthy and get back to my 2020 form but that wasn’t their plan.”
Mayfield joined the Browns as the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft and guided the organization to a memorable playoff win at the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2021. He then suffered what became a serious injury to his (non-throwing) shoulder in Week 2 of the subsequent season but attempted to play through the setback before he underwent surgery in January 2022.
Roughly two months after that procedure, the Browns acquired Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans to serve as Mayfield’s replacement. Mayfield ultimately spent portions of the 2022 campaign with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams before he signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers this past March.
Mayfield and the Bucs entered their Week 5 bye at 3-1. According to ESPN stats, he heads into Sunday’s action ranked fifth in the NFL among qualified players with a 69.9 adjusted QBR, eighth with a 101.5 passer rating and tied for eighth with seven touchdown passes.
This week, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht noted that Mayfield “is finally in a place where he’s got some stability and he’s got people that are kind of wrapping their arms around him and they truly love him as the leader and quarterback.” Meanwhile, the 28-year-old added while electing against bashing the Browns during Friday’s show segment that he is “a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.”
The Buccaneers next host the Detroit Lions on Oct. 15 after the 3-1 Lions welcome the winless Carolina Panthers to Ford Field this coming Sunday.
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