Baker Mayfield: QB's future with the Cleveland Browns seems uncertain, but advocacy for man on death row wins plaudits
The 2021 season has been a pivotal one for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, both on and off the field.
A No. 1 overall pick in 2018, he has helped transform the franchise from bottom-dwelling strugglers to playoff qualifiers through a combination of his toughness and leadership.
However, he and the team have struggled maintaining consistency on the field, casting doubts about whether the team will opt to offer him a new long-term contract.
However, away from the field Mayfield has also been displaying his leadership qualities.
He has long spoken out in defense of Julius Jones, who had been convicted of the 1999 murder of Paul Howell during a carjacking. Jones has been on death row for nearly 20 years, but the 40-year-old, his family, attorneys and supporters say he is innocent.
Last season, Mayfield displayed Jones' name on the back of his helmet in solidarity for the inmate.
On Wednesday, the 26-year-old Mayfield -- among other members of the sporting world -- used his platform to call for the Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to spare Jones.
"That's not something that's easy to talk about," an emotional Mayfield -- who played football at the University of Oklahoma -- told reporters.
"I've been trying to get the facts stated and the truth to be told for a while, but it is tough to think about. Tried and tried. It is a shame that it has gotten this far. We are 24 hours away. So, it's tough. You know, hopefully, God can intervene, and handle it correctly and do the things he needs to do."
A day later, Stitt granted clemency to Jones, commuting Jones' death sentence to life in prison without parole just hours before he was scheduled to be executed.
Mayfield reacted to the news on Twitter: "God is GREAT!!! Thank you to everybody that prayed and continued to pray!"
The quarterback's support for Jones has won plaudits.
"Whatever you think of Baker Mayfield, he has been advocating for Julius Jones for quite awhile," tweeted former NFL star Stephen White. "And definitely longer than I knew his story and I doubt I'm alone."
For the long run or a short-term fix?
If Mayfield is beloved in Cleveland, the NFL quarterback's future appears uncertain at the Browns.
His charisma and dedication combined with his play on the field has endeared him to a dedicated fan base.
Now in his fourth year with the team, he has thrown for 13,105 yards and 84 touchdowns since being drafted, helping to transform the historically snake-bitten Ohio team and helping to earn them their first post season playoff berth since 2002.
The Browns exercised Mayfield's fifth-year contract option for the 2022 season -- worth $18.9 million guaranteed -- though he has struggled with injuries and accuracy on the field this season.
He has been playing through a torn labrum, something that NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported he will need surgery on at the end of the season.
As a result, there are questions as to whether the team will choose to stick with Mayfield and offer him a long-term contract, like the Buffalo Bills did with Mayfield's fellow 2018 Draft quarterback Josh Allen -- he signed a six-year contract extension worth up to $258 million with $150 million guaranteed in August.
Cleveland and Mayfield's agent didn't immediately respond to CNN's request for comment on the status of any potential future contract for the quarterback.
Fox Sports analyst Jay Glazer thinks that the Browns will consider all their options at the end of the year, including Mayfield's position as starting quarterback.
"It's kind of a sticky situation right cause sometimes they look at him and they're like: 'OK we can win with this guy, he can be our guy,' but there will be a lot of veteran [quarterbacks] who will perhaps be up for grabs in the offseason," Glazer said on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday.
"When [The Browns] are looking at it and they see who's available, what guys they can get in a trade, what guys they can get in the draft and they think Baker is the better option long-term then they got to go long-term with him."
贝克梅菲尔德：QB 与克利夫兰布朗队的未来似乎不确定，但为死囚辩护赢得了喝彩
2021 赛季对于克利夫兰布朗队的四分卫贝克梅菲尔德来说是一个关键的赛季，无论是场内还是场外。
作为 2018 年的第一顺位新秀，他通过他的坚韧和领导才能帮助球队从底层的挣扎者转变为季后赛预选赛。
然而，他和球队一直在努力保持场上的一致性，这让人怀疑球队是否会选择为他提供一份新的长期合同。
不过，在场外，梅菲尔德也一直在展示他的领导才能。
长期以来，他一直为朱利叶斯·琼斯辩护，后者因 1999 年在劫车期间谋杀保罗·豪威尔而被定罪。琼斯已经在死囚牢房里待了将近 20 年，但这位 40 岁的老人、他的家人、律师和支持者都说他是无辜的。
上个赛季，梅菲尔德在头盔背面展示了琼斯的名字，以声援囚犯。
星期三，26 岁的梅菲尔德和体育界的其他成员一起，利用他的平台呼吁俄克拉荷马州州长凯文斯蒂特放过琼斯。
“这不是一件容易谈论的事情，”在俄克拉荷马大学踢足球的情绪激动的梅菲尔德告诉记者。
“一段时间以来，我一直在努力阐明事实和真相，但很难去想。尝试和尝试过。很遗憾它走到了这一步。我们还有 24 小时的路程。所以，这很艰难。你知道，希望上帝能够干预，正确处理它，做他需要做的事情。”
一天后，斯蒂特赦免了琼斯，将琼斯的死刑改判为终身监禁，不得假释，就在他计划被处决前几个小时。
梅菲尔德在推特上对这一消息作出反应：“上帝太棒了！！！感谢所有祈祷并继续祈祷的人！”
四分卫对琼斯的支持赢得了喝彩。
“无论你如何看待贝克梅菲尔德，他一直在为朱利叶斯琼斯辩护一段时间，”前 NFL 球星斯蒂芬怀特在推特上写道。 “而且绝对比我知道他的故事要长，我怀疑我是一个人。”
从长远来看还是短期修复？
如果梅菲尔德在克利夫兰受到爱戴，那么这位 NFL 四分卫在布朗队的未来似乎不确定。
他的魅力和奉献精神以及他在球场上的表现使他深受忠实粉丝的喜爱。
现在是他在球队的第四年，自从被选中以来，他已经投球 13,105 码和 84 次达阵，帮助改变了历史上被蛇咬过的俄亥俄队，并帮助他们赢得了自 2002 年以来的第一个季后赛席位。
布朗队行使了梅菲尔德 2022 赛季的第五年合同选项——保证价值 1890 万美元——尽管他本赛季在场上因伤病和准确性而苦苦挣扎。
他一直在玩撕裂的盂唇，NFL 内部人士伊恩·拉波波特 (Ian Rapoport) 报告说，他将需要在赛季结束时进行手术。
因此，有人质疑球队是否会选择坚持梅菲尔德并为他提供一份长期合同，就像布法罗比尔队与梅菲尔德 2018 年选秀四分卫乔什·艾伦所做的那样——他签署了一份为期六年的续约合同价值高达 2.58 亿美元，8 月份有 1.5 亿美元的担保。
克利夫兰和梅菲尔德的经纪人没有立即回应美国有线电视新闻网关于这位四分卫未来任何潜在合同状态的评论请求。
福克斯体育分析师杰伊格雷泽认为，布朗队将在年底考虑他们所有的选择，包括梅菲尔德作为首发四分卫的位置。
“这有点棘手，因为有时他们看着他，他们会说：‘好吧，我们可以和这个人一起赢球，他可以成为我们的人，'但是会有很多老将 [四分卫] 他们也许会在休赛期争夺战，”格雷泽周三在“Pat McAfee Show”上说。
“当 [布朗队] 看着它并且他们看到谁有空时，他们可以在交易中得到哪些球员，他们可以在选秀中得到哪些球员，他们认为贝克是长期更好的选择，然后他们必须做多——和他在一起。”
