CLEVELAND — To this point, Baker Mayfield has said all of the right things when it comes to his upcoming matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
But a recent comment to a sideline reporter has revealed how the former No. 1 pick truly feels about facing his former team.
Appearing on the “Around the NFL” podcast, NFL Network analyst Cynthia Frelund revealed a conversation she had with Mayfield while working as a sideline reporter for the Carolina Panthers’ matchup with the Buffalo Bills this past Friday. In doing so, Frelund shared that the Oklahoma product had some choice words when it came to his thoughts on his Week 1 matchup vs. his former team.
“It was on the field after the game against the Bills, preseason Week 3. And I went up to him like, ‘I’m so excited to see you.’ I was like, ‘go kick some butt, especially Week 1. I cannot wait,'” Frelund shared. “And he used some expletives and I was like, ‘I just hope you’re ready.’ He’s like, ‘I’m going to [bleep] them up.'”
You can hear the clip in the video player below.
After her revelation made its way around the internet on Tuesday morning — especially in Cleveland — Frelund appeared on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show to discuss her interaction with Mayfield.
“I shouldn’t have shared a private conversation, although I stand by the fact that I’m pro-Baker. I hope he succeeds. I hope he has a great career in Carolina,” Frelund said. “I walked up to him after the game. He looked great. Everything looked like he was happy. He’s having fun, God forbid. And I’m like, ‘I hope you have a great season. I used some expletives like ‘F them up.’
“I know Baker’s spicy and he’s been spicy his whole career dating back to college. I said that and then he just kind of agreed with me. And I said, ‘start it off strong, go.’ And in fairness, as a woman, especially in the media, I would like him to beat his old team for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is it feels like a poetic story. It feels like a lot of athletes face their former teams and it’s like, ‘go show them that they were wrong.’ Like, get out there and be positive. There was nothing negative.”
Following four seasons with the Browns, Mayfield’s exit from Cleveland was a messy one.
While the Browns remained publicly committed to the 27-year-old as their starting quarterback following a disappointing 2021 season in which he battled through multiple injuries, their actions said otherwise. In March, Cleveland pursued a trade for Houston Texans star quarterback Deshaun Watson after a Texas grand jury declined to indict the three-time Pro Bowl selection on criminal charges following multiple accusations of sexual misconduct.
After news of the Browns’ pursuit of Watson became public and ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Cleveland planned to move on from Mayfield regardless due to a desire to have an “adult” at quarterback, the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner requested a trade. While the Browns initially denied Mayfield’s request, they later acquiesced after successfully acquiring Watson, who wound up receiving an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season.
In July, Cleveland traded Baker to Carolina in exchange for a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick, which could become a fourth-round pick based on playing time incentives. Last week, the Panthers named Mayfield their starting quarterback for the 2022 season following a preseason battle with Sam Darnold.
The Browns and Panthers will face each other at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Sept. 11.