Baker Mayfield on Responding to Critics: 'I Put My Foot in My Mouth a Lot This Past Year'
While addressing the Cleveland Browns' struggles during the 2019 season, quarterback Baker Mayfield said he's moving on from responding to criticism.
Mayfield appeared on ESPN's Get Up on Friday morning and buried his beef with former NFL head coach Rex Ryan.
"It comes down to... doing my job the best I can and not worrying about the outside stuff. Not replying to you," he said while pointing to Ryan. "Not telling you that orange and brown don't matter. Just doing my job and doing what really matters being a quarterback."
Mayfield and Ryan shared a laugh over his comments, which referenced an insult he hurled at the former coach last fall.
After the Browns lost to the Rams in Week 3, Ryan called Mayfield "overrated as hell" on ESPN while criticizing his accuracy and speed. When reporters brought up Ryan's opinion with Mayfield, the Browns quarterback dismissed them.
"It's whatever," he said. "In the wise words of Freddie Kitchens, 'if you don't wear orange and brown you don't matter.' And Rex Ryan doesn't have any colors right now for a reason."
After a strong rookie season, Mayfield didn't see the same results in 2019. He ranked last in the league in touchdown-to-interception ratio (22 touchdowns to 21 interceptions). The Browns, who were considered Super Bowl contenders at the start of the season, finished 6–10 to miss the playoffs.
Mayfield called 2019 a "humbling experience" and shared what he learned from it.
"Let's just be honest, I put my foot in my mouth a lot this past year," Mayfield said. "I'm going to internalize that, and I think that's the way I need to handle it. ...I don't need to respond to the things that don't matter, the things that don't help us win."
Mayfield added that he can evolve in the way he handles criticism and needs to keep his attention fixed on his team.
"That's what the focus needs to be about, what can I do to help this team win. ... What I can do to make our franchise better, head in the right direction, do the things of why I was picked in that spot [No. 1 overall] and make it happen."
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