Baker Mayfield recently opened up about his rocky departure from the Cleveland Browns, saying he felt like the team treated him “like dirty laundry.” After being the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and helping lead the Browns to their first playoff win in decades, Mayfield’s time in Cleveland came to an abrupt and messy end following the team’s controversial trade for Deshaun Watson.
Mayfield said the Browns’ sudden pivot left him feeling discarded, like someone who had been used and then thrown aside without proper communication or respect. “It wasn’t just about football,” he explained. “It was how it was handled. There was no honesty, no real conversation. Just silence and then a trade.”
The quarterback acknowledged he wasn’t perfect but felt he deserved more transparency and respect from the organization he gave everything to. Since leaving Cleveland, Mayfield has bounced between teams, eventually finding new life with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he led them to a playoff run in 2023.
Mayfield’s comments shed light on the emotional toll of being abruptly replaced, and they offer a rare, candid look at the human side of professional sports, where loyalty and communication often get lost in the business of the game.
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