07 October 2023 , 14:55
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has spoken honestly about where he stands with former teammate Odell Beckham Jr.
Mayfield and Beckham were teammates at the Cleveland Browns from 2019-21, with the latter arriving following his exit from the New York Giants. Mayfield was the No.1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and the link-up with Beckham was met with widespread excitement in Cleveland.
However, the duo’s respective time in Ohio did not go fully to plan. Beckham spent a little under three seasons in Cleveland before being released in November 2021.
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Prior to Beckham’s exit from the Browns, there had been reports of a breakdown in the relationship between the receiver and Mayfield. A report from released days after the announcement from Cleveland stated that a lack of a connection on the field with passes and running routes led to a breakdown in the duo’s relationship off the field.
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Nearly two years after Beckham’s exit from Cleveland, Mayfield has been asked about where he currently stands with his former teammate. The Bucs quarterback was speaking to Pat McAfee for ESPN for the "Pat McAfee Show" on Friday when he was asked if he and Beckham are “friends”.
"We're good now," Mayfield said in response. "We're good now and that's part of me growing as a person.
“I think normally I would hold a lot of grudges, but no, we're good. We squashed that."
At the end of the 2021 NFL season, just months after Beckham’s exit, Mayfield also left Cleveland at the end of the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. He would go on to sign for the Carolina Panthers before a short spell with the Los Angeles Rams during a hectic 2022 season.
After a year of uncertainty, Mayfield was signed by the Bucs in March of this year and was soon named as the starting quarterback in Tampa. He signed a one-year deal worth $8.5 million (£6.9 million) in March and beat out Kyle Trask to succeed Tom Brady as the Bucs new QB.
Beckham was signed by the Baltimore Ravens in the off-season after spending the entirety of the 2022 season out with an ACL injury. The receiver signed a one-year deal worth $15 million (£12.25 million) and has played two games but has not played since Week 2 due to sustaining an ankle injury.