Buccaneers coach claims Browns 'mucked it up' with Baker Mayfield

The Cleveland Browns squaring off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is arguably the most intriguing NFL game in Week 2. That is all because of Baker Mayfield.

This is not his first time playing the Browns since being ushered out of town. However, it will be his first matchup against his replacement, Deshaun Watson.

Watson has turned out to be a massive sunk cost and has left fans wondering what could have been if everyone took a second, relaxed, and worked things out with Mayfield in 2021 and into 2022.

One former Browns coach now working for the Bucs did not mince his words when it came to the decision to move on from the former No. 1 overall pick.

Buccaneers coach rips Browns over Baker Mayfield decision

Ken Zampese was the quarterbacks coach in Cleveland for one season. That came in 2018, the same year Mayfield was drafted No. 1 overall. He is now a senior assistant in Tampa Bay and said the Browns "mucked it up" by moving on in favor of Watson.

"They had the guy," Zampese said, via ESPN's Jenna Laine. "They had the guy, and they gave him up."

Mayfield famously played through a serious shoulder injury in 2021, limiting his abilities and setting the Browns back after a playoff win in 2020. He arguably should have been shut down, but the saga of that year led the team to go after Watson and go all-in by guaranteeing him $230 million.