NFL QB Baker Mayfield GOES OFF on Cleveland Reporter for ‘Clickbait’ Article: ‘I’m Not Your Puppet’
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Baker Mayfield had a disastrous fourth season with the Cleveland Browns, marred by poor play and injuries, but the quarterback is pushing back on reports that he’s not getting along with his head coach.
Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot, wrote an article for Cleveland.com claiming Mayfield “must resolve differences” with head coach Kevin Stefanski if the two are going to co-exist next season.
The article came after Cleveland struggled offensively against the Pittsburgh Steelers Monday night and Mayfield criticized his team’s gameplan, which allowed the quarterback to get sacked nine times. His criticism was an apparent shot at Cleveland’s coaching staff. But when Kay Cabot wrote about the drama potentially boiling over, Mayfield fired back.
Clickbait. You and many other Cleveland local media continue to be drama stirring reporters with no sources or facts. Don’t put words in my mouth so you can put food on your table. I’m not your puppet. https://t.co/MfHnqWk65s
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) January 6, 2022
“Clickbait,” Mayfield ranted on Twitter. “You and many other Cleveland local media continue to be drama stirring reporters with no sources or facts. Don’t put words in my mouth so you can put food on your table. I’m not your puppet.”
This is not the first time Mayfield served as media fodder by battling with a sports host or reporter. Since joining the Browns as the first pick overall, Mayfield has fired back at sports radio hosts Colin Cowherd, Jason Smith, and Tony Grossi for what the quarterback believed was unfair criticism.
In Kay Cabot’s report, the beat writer claims Mayfield was unhappy with Stefanski’s play-calling long before the quarterback was sacked nine times on Monday Night Football.
“Dating back to October, Mayfield felt the run-heavy, three-tight end scheme didn’t play to his strengths, and Stefanski wasn’t calling enough of the play-action bootlegs that Mayfield excelled at last season,” Cabot writes. “The discord escalated to the point where Mayfield at times would’ve preferred offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt call the plays. But Stefanski kept the responsibility, and Mayfield grew increasingly frustrated.”
Making the alleged claim about Mayfield’s opinion of the offense without quoting Cleveland’s quarterback left the door open for him to claim he was unfairly represented in the article.
Mayfield won’t play in Cleveland’s finale on Sunday and will instead undergo surgery on the partially torn labrum in his shoulder. The Browns have a difficult decision to make regarding Mayfield and his future this offseason, with the quarterback having just one year left on his contract.
