If this past season proved anything for the Cleveland Browns, it was that Hue Jackson woefully mismanaged a franchise-changing talent in Baker Mayfield. When Jackson was fired, Mayfield’s tense relationship with Jackson played out in Cleveland’s meetings with the Bengals.
But more than anything, Mayfield was clearly the answer for the Browns at quarterback. He led the Browns to a 5-2 record after Jackson’s firing and passed for 17 touchdowns with 7 interceptions in the process.
So, Rich Eisen wasn’t exactly buying it when NFL Network contributor Mike Silver said that Mayfield needed to grow up. As ProFootballTalk pointed out, Silver is friends with Jackson. This was something Eisen appeared to know as well because he immediately responded by invoking their friendship.
“Is Hue around here,” Eisen asked as he stood up to jokingly look for the former Browns coach on set.
Eisen did this as another Hue Jackson friend, Marvin Lewis, looked on. It was so good.
After the broadcast, Silver didn’t exactly appreciate that his friendship with Jackson was called out by NBC’s Michael David Smith.
Still, Silver’s Mayfield criticism was a poor attempt at a Colin Cowherd routine — the kind of comment that would bring his impartiality into question.
