Baker Mayfield reportedly placed an emphasis on bulking up prior to last season, and it sounds like he will be taking the opposite approach heading into 2020.
Mayfield is looking to slim down this summer and regain some of his quickness after he put on weight before the 2019 season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. Mayfield, who is one of the smaller quarterbacks in the league, likely tried to gain weight so he could withstand more hits, but his play may have slipped a bit because of it.
An important focus for the #Browns heading into 2020: QB Baker Mayfield’s fitness and body makeup. From what I understand, he put on some weight last year to bulk up and lost some quickness. His plan is to be slimmer & faster this year, with an emphasis on being in better shape.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2020
Mayfield’s weight was a topic of conversation in his first NFL offseason and again recently. The former Oklahoma star posed for a photo on vacation with some ripped fellow NFL players last month, and fans called attention to his physique.
Baker is me every time I take a picture with my skinny friends pic.twitter.com/321mcYE7Kj
— Cleveland Cam (@cleveland_cam) January 30, 2020
Mayfield isn’t exactly known for his scrambling ability, but he seemed a lot less mobile last season than he was as a rookie. We know he’s one of the shortest starting quarterbacks in the NFL (something a Cleveland reporter was suspended for ruthlessly mocking this week), so it’s important for Mayfield to be in top condition to overcome his other physical limitations. It’s no surprise he is planning to work on that heading into an important third NFL season.
