Baker Mayfield is just one year removed from participating in a full-blown quarterback competition for the starting job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After an impressive season that led to a three-year, $100 million contract extension, one of his former coaches with the Cleveland Browns is offering immense praise to the 28-year-old.
Gregg Williams, who held the interim head coaching role in Cleveland for eight games in 2018, believes he and Mayfield could have won a title with the Browns. The former coach was blunt about that belief while gushing over Mayfield during a segment on the Come Get Some Show.
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“I am so happy. He’s one of my all-time favorites. I believe with all my heart we could have won a championship with him had we stayed—had I stayed in Cleveland instead of heading out,” Williams said.
“And I’m so proud of how he has proven himself time after time after time, from high school to college, college to the NFL, and now within the NFL. Hey, come get some Bake. I’m very happy for him.”
Gregg Williams said he could've won a Super Bowl in Cleveland with Baker Mayfield 😳
— COME GET SOME (@ComeGetSomeShow) March 13, 2024
"I believe with all my heart, we could have won a championship with him had I stayed." pic.twitter.com/5Nt6itJeMJ
It’s a strong statement from Williams, who posted a 5–3 record as the team’s interim head coach after stepping into the role to replace Hue Jackson. The Browns ultimately hired Freddie Kitchens as head coach in 2019, leading to Williams’s departure from Cleveland.
From a statistical standpoint, the 2018 season was one of Mayfield’s best. He threw for the second-most touchdowns in a single season of his career (27), surpassed only by his play in 2023 in Tampa Bay. Mayfield posted career-highs in passing yardage (4,044) and touchdown passes (28) last year while logging the second-fewest interceptions (10) in a season in which he played 14 or more games.
