Baker Mayfield was not pleased with how Duke Johnson managed his situation, such as a trade request, last week.
Some Cleveland Browns teammates weren’t happy with the quarterback handled his response.
NFL Network’s Michael Silver reported that, according to numerous sources, several Browns players approached Mayfield in the locker room after the QB remarks about Johnson to register their displeasure and hash out their differences.
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“So it’s pretty striking to get a player to become involved in a teammate’s business in anything but a supportive role,” Silver said on NFL Network’s Inside Minicamp Camp Live. “We saw it last year with the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell — that was an anomaly. Baker Mayfield is the clear leader of that (locker room) but I’m told by numerous sources that many veterans came to him in the locker room after those comments about Duke Johnson and let us say voiced their displeasure, saying,’Listen it is 1 thing to be the leader but this is a man who’s going through something, it’s business and we must support him.’ Baker might not have agreed with thembut he heard them and so that is something to keep an eye as a very, very gifted team gets ready for what could be a big season.”
Following Johnson reiterated he’d prefer to get traded, Mayfield basically said good riddance.
“That is something which we’ve been dealing with for a little while,” Mayfield said at the time, through The Plain Dealer. “When we have men that want to be here, they will demonstrate that, they will voice that. He’s going to handle his things you are either on this train, although he wants or you are not, it’s moving. You are able to escape the way or you can join us. So it is what it is.”
Mayfield also stated Johnson’s situation was”self-inflicted.”
“I would not say I am not happy about it,” Mayfield added. “It is only the way he has handled it. It may be a stir-up in the networking, it can be however it wants, but if someone would like to be here, they’ll be here in that circumstance. You have men within our locker room who are dying for playing time, which are going to be here, and I get it done…”
Conversely, Jarvis Landry spoke in support of Johnson.
“I hope he knows and feels that guys are here because of him, whether he is here or not, the relationship goes beyond the player, the individual as well, so I certainly hope he knows that and knows that there are men that are here for him,” the receiver said.
The Browns do not practice until training camp in July, once if they remain relevant by then the locker room will reconvene to hash out of any lingering issues.
Silver also noted that head coach Freddie Kitchens is currently playing a bigger role in the installation that was offensive through June practices.