There don’t appear to be any hard feelings between Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr., at least on Mayfield’s end.
Mayfield called Beckham a “good friend” and wished the wide receiver well following Sunday’s win over Cincinnati. That game marked the Cleveland Browns’ first game since Beckham’s upcoming release was confirmed.
“I wish him well, I really do. My feelings haven’t changed,” Mayfield said, via Jake Trotter of ESPN. “From a personal standpoint, he’s a good friend of mine. … But I’m worried about the guys in our locker room. I’m proud of these guys, how they were able to focus up despite all the bulls— that was going on this week and how they were able to do their job. We’re going to see if we can build on it and continue to get better.”
The Beckham divorce started when Odell Beckham Sr. began taking public shots at Mayfield on social media. Add in some stories like these and you might think Mayfield would just be happy to move on. That seems to be the sentiment in some portions of the locker room.
Still, Mayfield knows better than to publicly trash Beckham as the receiver heads out the door. There’s no point to it, and Mayfield has to focus on the rest of the season. Maybe the two really did get along but just couldn’t click on the field. Either way, the Browns looked sharper on Sunday, so perhaps Beckham’s exit will qualify as addition by subtraction.
Photo: Aug 29, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) is shown on the sideline during their game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
