Anyone watching Thursday night’s game between the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets knows that Baker Mayfield stole the starting quarterback job away from Tyrod Taylor. Mayfield entered the game down 14-0 and led the Browns to a 21-17 win — their first victory since Dec. 24, 2016. He energized the team, looked great, and moved the ball — all of which Taylor failed to do.
Despite all that, Browns head coach Hue Jackson was not ready to name Mayfield the team’s starter after the game, saying he needed to watch the tape first.
“I’m going to watch the tape and make the right decision, the best decision for the organization and for our football team moving forward. That’s my job, that’s what I’ll do,” Jackson said.
Jackson’s unwillingness to publicly hand the reins over to Mayfield was met with anger from many fans, but there could be a few good reasons for Jackson’s caution in making the pronouncement.
One, Taylor suffered a concussion in the game. It would be pretty crappy for him to find out he’s lost the starting job through his coach’s comments to the media, all while he’s trying to recover from a brain injury. The most respectful way to handle such a transition is by meeting with the players first and talking to them before telling the world.
Two, it’s possible that the handling of the quarterback hierarchy is an organizational decision, not one that Jackson makes alone. Think about it: new GM John Dorsey traded for Tyrod Taylor before drafting Baker Mayfield. Dorsey knew he was going to take a quarterback first in the draft but wanted a veteran to begin the season as a starter to allow the rookie a chance to learn pressure-free. Perhaps Jackson was toeing the company line all along by making sure everyone knew Taylor was the team’s starter. Therefore, he couldn’t alone declare Mayfield the starter anyhow.
Despite all this, expect the Browns to have Mayfield starting at quarterback in Week 4 at Oakland. There’s no way they can feel Taylor will give them a better shot at winning.
