Odell Beckham Jr. was released by the Cleveland Browns last season not long after his father publicly criticized Baker Mayfield. While that obviously created tension in the locker room, it sounds like there were other members of the team who agreed.
Beckham’s father, Odell Beckham Sr., shared a YouTube video on his Instagram account that showed several instances in 2021 where his son had been open but had nothing to show for it. The video featured several plays where Baker Mayfield either threw bad passes or did not realize OBJ was open.
According to ESPN’s Jake Trotter, one Browns starter was asked about the YouTube video after Beckham was released. He said he doesn’t need to see the video because he has witnessed it first-hand.
“Why would I watch the video?” the player said. “I see it every day in practice.”
Trotter says another source told him that the Beckham situation “poisoned the well” for Mayfield with some teammates, as there were a lot of people in the locker room who were close with OBJ.
Beckham never said anything publicly about his father making Mayfield look bad. He also did not call or text Mayfield privately to discuss it, according to Trotter.
Mayfield struggled last season in part because of injuries, but apparently some of his teammates felt that was not the only reason. Beckham may have hinted recently that he is open to a reunion with the Browns, which says a lot about his feelings toward Mayfield.
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