Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is struggling on the field with his play and in the trainer’s room with injuries. That prompted one of his biggest critics, FOX Sports Radio host Colin Cowherd, to defend him.
Mayfield’s Browns beat the Detroit Lions 13-10 on Sunday, and it was as ugly as the score indicates. Mayfield finished 15-of-29 passing for 176 yards and one interception. On the season, Mayfield ranks 27th in ESPN’s QBR metric (37.2).
“My opinion is the only one that’s ever been right,” Colin Cowherd said about the quarterback. “Which was everybody was too high and unrealistic on Baker initially, and now they are beating the crap out of him, and it’s not fair.”
Cowherd went on to say that everyone jumps to the extremes, negative or positive, with Mayfield.
“So let me once again give the only reasonable opinion on Baker Mayfield in America,” Cowherd continued. “Cuz I don’t get emotionally involved in this stuff. It’s all biz—you know what I’m saying? A: he’s never been a No. 1 pick talent. B: he is a franchise quarterback, but he needs a ton of help around him, and C: He’s way too cocky, too much ego for the position to rely on him.”
Mayfield’s wife, Emily, stoked the fire even more after the game on Sunday with a controversial social media post. Mayfield himself had thoughts about the booing Cleveland fans on Sunday.
“Those are probably the same fans that won’t be quiet while we’re on offense and trying to operate,” the Cleveland quarterback said Monday. “So, don’t really care.”
Colin Cowherd had the solution for Mayfield’s play ready to fire off for Browns fans.
“Cleveland fans were outrageously delusional from the start, and now you’re unbelievably critical and unfair now,” Cowherd said. “So once again, America’s honesty broker hahaha— Me—delivers the truth.”
Cowherd says he would bench Mayfield ahead of Sunday’s game against Baltimore, let him get healthy over the team’s bye the following week, and roll him out for the final five games.
“As a front office, I’ll get a reasonable evaluation of him because he’ll be 90% healthy,” Cowherd explained. “Which, frankly, is where most quarterbacks are during the season.