Like other NFL teams, the Cleveland Browns have a Ring of Honor that encircles their home turf at Huntington Bank Field. The list of players honored by permanent testaments to their careers is reserved for only the very best of the best; the true legends in the Browns’ long story. Only a small number of players have earned this prestigious honor, underlining the exclusivity of having one’s name and number added to the Ring of Honor.
Since the team’s founding in 1946, over 1,600 men have suited up for the Browns, but only 19 of them have been deemed worthy enough to be honored in this way. They are:
- Jim Brown
- Paul Brown
- Joe DeLamielleure
- Len Ford
- Frank Gatski
- Otto Graham
- Lou Groza
- Gene Hickerson
- Leroy Kelly
- Dante Lavelli
- Mike McCormack
- Bobby Mitchell
- Marion Motley
- Ozzie Newsome
- Paul Warfield
- Bill Willis
- Mac Speedie
- Joe Thomas
- Clay Matthews Jr.
With the exception of Matthews, every single player on this list has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which only highlights how dominant a player needs to be to make it into this group.
Recently, in the ceaseless swirling storm of rumor and speculation which is X (formerly Twitter), a discussion has been underway about the possibility of adding a new name to the Browns’ Ring of Honor: Baker Mayfield. To see if Mayfield meets the criteria for such a distinguished honor, a closer, objective look at his stats as a Brown is required.
After his brief four-season stint in Cleveland, Mayfield came away with a record of 29-30. A sub-500 win percentage isn’t exactly a good place to start when making a case for greatness, but perhaps his other numbers will make up for the unimpressive record.
Mayfield’s 14,125 passing yards are respectable, and his 92 touchdowns deserve praise, but their value is slightly diminished by his 56 interceptions logged during those same seasons.
Although Baker did not win any awards or break any notable records during this time, he may best be remembered in Browns’ lore as the quarterback who finally managed to break their embarrassing 19-game losing streak in 2018.
With Mayfield’s days in Cleveland firmly in the past and his stats set in stone, the question remains: did Mayfield do enough?
Baker Mayfield's Browns Resume: Good but Not Great
The short answer, as tough as it may be to hear for his fans, is no. Entry to the Ring of Honor is based on proven past performance, not “what-if” potential. The truth is that Mayfield's time in Cleveland, while certainly exciting and fun to watch, especially compared to the winless season immediately preceding his arrival, was, from a numbers standpoint, nothing extraordinary. Good but not great.
For the same reason that Joe Flacco is not in the conversation, unfortunately for Mayfield and his fans, “good” is not good enough for the Browns’ Ring of Honor. To make it onto that list, a player needs to be unanimously considered great by the Browns and their scrutinizing fans. To fit in with the other players already in the club, Baker would have to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory, something that, at least yet, hasn't happened.
Alternatively, if there are to be new additions to Cleveland’s Ring of Honor, the search should start with more deserving candidates who have done more for the Browns, such as Myles Garrett, Joel Bitonio, or Nick Chubb.
And if none of these greats are quite good enough, the Browns could follow Deion Sanders’ example and add his son, Shedeur, to their Ring of Honor even if he is yet to take a single snap in the league.