Browns teammates praise 'tough' Baker Mayfield

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Browns teammates praise 'tough' QB Baker Mayfield

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jan 10, 2022 1:30 PM ET

Much has been said and written over the past week about Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, who first injured his non-throwing shoulder during the Week 2 win over the Houston Texans on Sept. 19 and spent the second half of what became a disappointing season struggling to play through a torn labrum and fractured bone at the top of the humerus that will require him to undergo surgery.

The Browns shut Mayfield down ahead of Sunday's campaign-closing home victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, and running back Nick Chubb and offensive guard Wyatt Teller were among teammates who praised the "tough" signal-caller while speaking with media members on Monday:

Nick Chubb on Baker: "He kept fighting. … He had every reason to quit. … He could’ve had surgery in Week 2. … He fought for us every day.” #Browns
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) January 10, 2022

Browns OL Wyatt Teller on how this season could have been different without Baker Mayfield's injury: pic.twitter.com/CP2tZsPlvw
— Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) January 10, 2022

Mayfield did what he could Thursday to deny a report he may ask for a trade this offseason if he "doesn’t get assurances that things will change next season" regarding his working relationship with head coach and offensive play-caller Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski commented before the weekend he is on "good" terms with the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

A report then surfaced ahead of Sunday's NFL action that Mayfield, who is set to spend the 2022 season with the Browns via the fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract worth $18.858 million, will remain Cleveland's QB1 for the foreseeable future. Previously, the Browns had been linked with veterans such as Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Garoppolo in trade rumors, but there remain plenty of questions about if any of them will be available before or after this year's draft.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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