Baker Mayfield began the night Thursday as a backup NFL quarterback. Today, he's the toast of the town in Cleveland, after leading the Browns to their first victory since 2016.
Known for a "fiery personality" and once called "the most polarizing player in college football" by the Los Angeles Times, Mayfield was drafted by the Browns to lead the team back from the bottom of the NFL but he was only slated as a backup this season. Yet on Thursday night, when starter Tyrod Tayler suffered a concussion late in the second quarter Mayfield got his chance -- and made the most of it.
The Browns comeback victory, engineered by Mayfield, was their first win on 635 days.
Mayfield's stardom shouldn't be a surprise. He was the top pick in the 2018 NFL draft. A former walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech who earned a starting position and then transferred to Oklahoma where he became a starter and won the Heisman Trophy -- doing it with a unique flair and signature style that some labeled combatant.
"Mayfield has ruffled feathers around the Big 12 Conference, and beyond. He offended Ohio State fans," the Times reported. "He made an obscene gesture toward Kansas players. But in the Sooner State, Mayfield is OK."
Thursday night, he checked into the game late in the second quarter when Cleveland was losing, again, to the New York Jets 14-0. Moments later, Mayfield was making history.
"He created plays with his legs, he made difficult throws look easy, he even caught a 2-point conversion on a trick play in which he split out as a receiver and caught a floater in the end zone thrown by Jarvis Landry, a wide receiver," reported the New York Times.
Who is Baker Mayfield?
Recently engaged to Emily Wilkinson, Mayfield was perhaps destined to be a star from the beginning.
"I've always loved the big stage," Mayfield said, according to soonersports.com. "When I was growing up, if it was on a field or any kind of sports setting, I was happy. And I wanted to take command. I wanted to be the leader.
"In elementary school I'd call all my neighborhood friends on the phone. A parent would answer and I'd say 'Hi, this is Baker. Can Johnny come over?' Everyone would come to my house and we'd play baseball or football or go swimming. A lot of times we did all three."
"or as long as I can remember, I loved having the last at bat in baseball or having the ball in my hands in football on the last drive. It was something that I enjoyed and embraced. And still do. I doubt that will ever change."
Here's the report following last night's Cleveland Browns win over the New York Jets from the Associated Press, detailing how Mayfield's NFL emerged Thursday night:
At some point, Baker Mayfield was going to assume Cleveland's starting job and become the franchise quarterback, the future.
That moment arrived Thursday night.
His days as a backup are over.
Throwing a 14-yard dart to complete his first pass, Mayfield replaced an injured Tyrod Taylor and rallied the Browns from a two-touchdown deficit for a 21-17 win over the New York Jets to end Cleveland's 19-game winless streak — the NFL's second-longest in 48 years.
Mayfield erased any doubts about why the Browns selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft with a performance that included him catching a 2-point conversion. The undersized and overlooked kid from Texas who walked on at two colleges, won a Heisman Trophy and became one of college football biggest stars, had some NFL debut.
"He's really special," Browns receiver Jarvis Landry said. "He took advantage of the moment and the opportunity. We always have seen him make these plays. As far back as when the Baker Mayfield story started, he has always made these types of plays. It is awesome to be a part of it."
Mayfield came in after Taylor sustained a concussion late in the first half and led the Browns (1-1-1) on four scoring drives — the last a 15-play, 75-yarder capped by Carlos Hyde's 1-yard TD run — and Cleveland's defense intercepted two passes by Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold in the fourth quarter to seal the team's first win since Dec. 24, 2016.
Following the game, jubilant Browns fans walking down the ramps of FirstEnergy Stadium chanted "Ba-ker, May-field" at the top of their lungs.
Their new hero took it all in stride.
"I have just been waiting for my moment," said Mayfield, who completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards. "I have been patient. I have been in a good opportunity, put in a good situation with the guys around me — veteran QBs and great coaches that I can learn from. I was never whining or complaining about playing time. I just want the team to win, no matter what the cost is."
The Browns wanted to bring Mayfield along slowly by having him watch and learn behind Taylor.
That plan is about to be scrapped.
Although Cleveland coach Hue Jackson wouldn't commit to Mayfield as his starter going forward, the choice is obvious. Mayfield isn't your average rookie quarterback and it's clear he's as ready as he can possibly be.
"I am not surprised by any throws that this young man makes," Jackson said. "He does things in practice that I just go, 'Oh, my gosh.' Timing. Timing is everything. The right time. The right situation. You can't deny the talent. You can't deny what he is able to do. He showed that tonight.
"That is why we drafted him. He has that magnetism. He has it. He is still a young player. He has a lot of work to do. He has got to keep working. Tonight is his night. It was his coming out party."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
