Here's Why Baker Mayfield Doesn't Like Hue Jackson

Cover Photo: Getty Images

The relationship between Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and former Browns head coach Hue Jackson has been tumultuous to say the least. Or lest we remind you of Mayfield staring down Jackson when he was working for the Bengals after being fired by the Browns last season.

The Baker Mayfield stare down at Hue Jackson... pic.twitter.com/bSGKyzpKPO
— Brandon Saho (@BrandonSaho) December 23, 2018

Mayfield put up impressive numbers his rookie year, throwing for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdowns with just 14 interceptions in 14 games. Yet, it's important to remember, that under Jackson, Mayfield was not initially named the starter for the team. In fact, even after leading the Browns to their first win since 2016, Jackson still didn't show faith in Mayfield.

Remember when Tyrod played terrible then ran himself into a hit which KO’ed him?

Baker came in, down 14. First NFL snaps. Hung these insane numbers & won. Gave Hue his first win since 2016.

Hue said he would have to “watch the film” to see which QB should start the next game ? pic.twitter.com/7kKyzmSc2L
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) May 28, 2019

That's not a great way to earn your QB's trust. Clearly, Mayfield didn't forget that or the other issues they had behind the scenes.

The Browns finished the 2018 season 7-8-1, good for third in the AFC North, a massive leap after Jackson led them to an 0-16 record without Mayfield the year prior. However, the Browns started slow again last year, going 2-5-1 in their first eight games, which led to Jackson's firing.

After the slow start, Mayfield and interim head coach Freddie Kitchens guided the team to a 6-2 record down the stretch. This led many to blame Jackson's incompetence and reluctance to start Mayfield from the beginning of the season for the Browns' missed playoff opportunity.

Jackson, on the other hand, found a new job with the division rival Cincinnati Bengals, and went on to lose to his former team twice. One of these losses came just 13 days after accepting the Bengals job, in which Mayfield did not acknowledge the coach who drafted him or shake hands with him after the game.

There is plenty of optimism surrounding the Browns this year, as they currently have the fifth best odds to win the Super Bowl, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Without Jackson, the onus is on Mayfield to lead the Browns to the playoffs for the first time since the 2002 season and prove he is the solution–not part of the problem.