Browns teammates liked Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham — the quarterback and receiver just didn’t like each other.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and cornerback Greg Newsome II revealed some of the dynamic between Mayfield and Beckham that led to the star wideout’s explosive exit from Cleveland last season.
“It was just so much, that relationship, those relationships just from the whole entire thing was just off, honestly,” Newsome said on the “Varsity House” podcast, per Pro Football Talk.
“And yes it was distracting, but I knew like at the end of the day I still had to do my job.”
Beckham’s dad — with his son seemingly frustrated with a lack of touches in the Browns offense — posted a video on social media highlighting all the times Mayfield didn’t throw to an open Beckham. He was eventually released from the team and signed with the eventual Super Bowl champion Rams.
Odell Beckham (left) and Baker Mayfield before an Oct. 17, 2021 game. Diamond Images/Getty Images“Odell’s gotta be one of the best teammates that I’ve had,” Owusu-Koramoah said.
Newsome then called Beckham “probably the best teammate,” while also noting that “The crazy thing, Baker was a great teammate, too. It was like weird, though. I’d like hang out with him. He’d take us to dinner after games.”
Now both Beckham and Mayfield find themselves in NFL limbo. Beckham tore his ACL during the Super Bowl and is now a free agent. Mayfield is likely to be released or traded by Cleveland after they acquired Deshaun Watson this offseason.
Just don’t look for the duo to reunite in a new NFL city.
