Long before the Browns agreed to trade quarterback Baker Mayfield to the Panthers, there was a report that they were ready to move on from the 2018 first overall pick because they wanted an “adult” to run their offense.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam denied saying that in March, but there was similar chatter that the Browns viewed Mayfield as “childish and immature” after the trade finally went down last week. The prospect of Mayfield’s personality rubbing some people the wrong way came up during a press conference with both men on Tuesday.
Mayfield said that he cared about the opinions inside the Panthers building and Fitterer said he consulted a lot of people about Mayfield before agreeing to the trade. He said the team heard enough to make them feel good about moving forward.
“A lot of people really went to bat for Baker,” Fitterer said, via the team’s website. “I think there are a lot of circumstances with why things happen … But we’re very comfortable with Baker. We’re excited to add him to the room and look forward to working with him.”
Mayfield said that he’s always been “able to bring guys and elevate them” in previous stops. He was able to elevate the Browns to a playoff win in 2020 and the Panthers will be banking on something similar this year.
Scott Fitterer: A lot of people went to bat for Baker Mayfield originally appeared on Pro Football Talk