Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield needs to live up to his words this season

Baker Mayfield may finally be showing maturity by going on ESPN and saying he needs to stop talking so much, but will that last?

Baker Mayfield earned a reputation over his short two-year career in the NFL as being a “talker”. Someone who lashes out at any form of criticism. He chastised those that criticized him and said he’d never change. That he was going to always be Baker.

On the Friday edition of Get Up, however, Mayfield had a bit of a different tone. Telling the hosts that he doesn’t need to “….respond to the things that don’t matter”. He acknowledged that it didn’t help the team win. He also owned his attitude and said that he had put his foot in his mouth at times last year.

A humbled and mature Mayfield? That’s exactly what the Browns need going forward into the new regime. The problem is, much like with Myles Garrett and others on this squad, he’s a bit too young and new for fans to develop a sense of expectation. Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, after all. In order to change the narrative surrounding himself, Mayfield needs to exude and embrace a “new normal”. Show the world you’ve changed and the narrative will become the change.

That’s partly what Mayfield needs to realize and keep close to the chest heading into the new season, he has to earn a new perception. It won’t be given to him. Certainly, a more mature Mayfield means that he’ll be open to criticism and change. He’ll be a more dependable person, which means he’ll be viewed as a better leader. If he’s a better leader he can rally his teammates when they’re down both in spirit and on the scoreboard and rally them back.

That said, he’s gotta earn it. He’s gotta prove it.

As Lao Tzu once said;

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."