All-Pro Joel Bitonio: Baker Mayfield 'was a great player for' Browns

Cleveland Browns All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio witnessed the highest of highs and lowest of lows of the Baker Mayfield era with the organization. 

Selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Bitonio was there when Mayfield came off the bench to beat the New York Jets in downtown Cleveland in his official pro debut on a Thursday night in September 2018, and the 30-year-old was also on the roster last season as Mayfield struggled while playing through a serious injury to his non-throwing shoulder that he suffered early in the campaign. 

Bitonio's pro football home remains in Cleveland, but Mayfield has been replaced by Deshaun Watson and is still waiting to learn if he'll be traded or released this summer. On Wednesday, Bitonio backed his former QB1 while speaking with reporters during the club's mandatory minicamp practice held at Tom Benson Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

"Baker was my guy," Bitonio explained, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "I still remember the Thursday night Jets game when he came into the game and helped lead us to victory and that was honestly one of the more special moments in my career just because it had been so long since we won games.

"He’s a tough guy and he played his heart out for us and I’ll always respect that. He’s still a friend of mine. We text occasionally and I think like everybody else, he’s kind of waiting it out to see where he’s going, but Baker did a lot for this franchise. He won a lot of games, he was a great player for us and I’ll always be a friend." 

Multiple individuals within the NFL community have taken shots at Mayfield this offseason and suggested the 27-year-old can't consistently win at the highest level. Bitonio did not add his name to the list on Wednesday. 

"He’s always had that chip on his shoulder and I’m sure it’s continued to get bigger and bigger," Bitonio remarked about Mayfield. "A team’s going to give him a chance. I know the contract situation is working itself out but he’ll get a chance to play. Quarterback is such a scarcity in the league that he’ll get a chance to play and perform again." 

Mayfield's chance to play this fall may only come if the Browns release him, as he's owed a fully guaranteed $18.858 million for 2022 that no team wants to take on knowing he's now surplus to requirements in Cleveland.