Baker Mayfield Offers Up NFL's First Real Trash Talk Of 2019, Bashing Giants' Daniel Jones
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Baker Mayfield has never been short on confidence, and he's never been shy. Inject some rookie success into that combination, and some healthy trash talk is to be expected from Mayfield as he enters Year 2 in the NFL.
In a comment to GQ that has already spread like wildfire online, Mayfield discussed the Giants' selection of quarterback Daniel Jones out of Duke at No. 6 overall in April's draft.
"I cannot believe the Giants took Daniel Jones," Mayfield said. "Blows my mind."
Mayfield added: "Some people overthink [evaluating quarterbacks]. That's where people go wrong. They forget you've gotta win."
Speaking on quarterback greatness, Mayfield said, "Either you have a history of winning and being that guy for your team, or you don't."
Mayfield's criticism of Jones likely stems from the quarterback's 6-5 record for Duke last year, his 7-6 record the year before, and his 4-8 record in his first year of 2016.
By contrast, Mayfield led Oklahoma to a 12-2 record in his final collegiate season, after going 11-2 in each of the the previous two seasons.
In his rookie year in the NFL, Mayfield played well, completing 63.8 percent of his passes for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. At the same time, by his own standards, Mayfield fell short, leading the Browns to a 6-7 record in games that he started. (He won his first game, when he took over late in the first half, so 7-7 is a more accurate record, even if it's unofficial.)
Unfortunately, the Browns will not face the Giants this year, unless the NFL season produces the unlikeliest possible combination for Super Bowl teams. But in the absence of Jalen Ramsey bashing damn near every quarterback in the league, Mayfield's dig at Jones will have to serve as this summer's GQ-fueled NFL trash talk.