Much has been made of Baker Mayfield’s revenge game against his former team in Week 1 of the 2022 season but his former teammate and Browns star Myles Garrett says there’s no personal stake in the game for him.
While talking to reporters Tuesday, the defensive end addressed playing the Panthers and going after his former teammate, who was named starter for the season-opener.
“It’s my former teammate but there’s no rivalry there between me and him and there’s no rivalry between the Panthers and the Browns,” Garrett said. “Yes, he was here, but that doesn’t mean I have an added sense of urgency to get to him.”
Mayfield was traded by the Browns after acquiring Deshaun Watson and signing him to a massive five-year, $230 million deal that’s fully guaranteed. Mayfield has not been shy about his displeasure with Cleveland during the negotiations and subsequent signing.
During an interview on the YNK: you know what I mean? podcast in April, Mayfield said he felt “disrespected by the Browns because he “was told one thing and they completely did another.”
He was likely referring to his team’s pursuit of Watson and how he was not informed of the specifics of the deal. In March, Browns general manager Andrew Berry told reporters he regretted how the trade took place. He informed Mayfield’s agent that Cleveland would be exploring other quarterback options while at the NFL combine, but he didn’t tell Mayfield’s agent that he was meeting with Watson on March 15 in Houston. Three days later, the organization traded for the former Texans quarterback.
Mayfield heard about the meeting before front office executives informed him, and before they returned to Cleveland after the meeting, Mayfield had already penned a letter to Browns fans thanking them for their support— seemingly saying goodbye to the city. Not soon after that, Mayfield requested a trade, and the day after that the team officially traded for Watson.
However, all of this doesn’t appear to have any influence on Garrett. All he’s concerned about is getting after the quarterback — no matter who it is.
“If I can help my team win, if I can put them in the best position to win I’mma do that,” he continued. “And if I can get a couple sacks on the way, I’d kinda enjoy that too.”
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