If Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield should decide to update his resume anytime soon, he should not seek a reference from ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.
The ESPN college football analyst did not hold back during a recent interview with Fox News when asked for his thoughts on the Cleveland signal-caller who is reportedly having friction with his head coach and may be at a crossroads with the Browns.
“I got into it with him in college,” Finebaum told Fox News. “He came after me on Twitter. And I thought he was a punk then and nothing has changed. He is a poor man’s Johnny Manziel. I think Cleveland ought to get rid of him. I don’t know if it’s possible, but I think the Browns are wasting their time with this guy.”
Some reports have surfaced suggesting that Mayfield could request a trade from Cleveland.
However, a Sunday morning report claims that the Browns and Mayfield are set to begin the 2022 season with Mayfield as the starter.
The former Oklahoma star’s confrontations have not been limited to Finebaum or his coach Kevin Stefanski. Last week, Mayfield responded angrily to a report from Browns beatwriter Mary Kay Cabot, in which she listed some possible quarterbacks the Browns could seek if they didn’t resolve their differences with Mayfield.
The Cleveland quarterback called the report “Clickbait.”
In truth, the comparisons between Mayfield and Manziel – which appear to be based on the fact that both are white and somewhat undersized – are bogus. For all his recent struggles, Mayfield has been an immensely better pro than the two-year wonder Manziel turned out to be.
In the end, Finebaum doesn’t make the call on Mayfield’s future, and it appears Cleveland has: Punk or no punk, Mayfield stays.