BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield came into his second professional training camp sporting a new look.
Rather than the full beard he grew out during the 2018 season and kept for much of the offseason program or the clean-shaven look he had for a friend’s wedding in late spring, Mayfield went with a mustache for the first week of training camp, and the second-year signal-caller was coy about his decision.
“Maybe you’ll find out, maybe you won’t,” Mayfield said after Wednesday’s practice at team headquarters. “That’s the elegance of having a mustache. You don’t know what’s going to happen.
“It’s like the QB RV. You guys just don’t know.”
The question about the mustache was only part of the conversation, as Mayfield and longtime beat writer Tony Grossi, someone identified as a rival to the quarterback, had some friendly banter back and forth.
“I like the mustache look,” Grossi said.
Mayfield responded, “Thank you. Where’s yours?”
When Grossi said “it’s retired,” Mayfield went on the offensive and referenced the prior’s promise to retire as a Browns beat reporter if general manager John Dorsey selected the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
“I thought you were retiring?” Mayfield quipped. “You set that one up. You really shouldn’t have done that.”
Regardless of the reason for the new look with the mustache, there could be a marketing opportunity here for Mayfield, as his quotes and likeness have become popular designs for t-shirt companies throughout Cleveland.
After taking over the first-team offense in the second quarter of a Week 3 win over the New York Jets, Mayfield completed 310 of his 486 attempts (63.8 percent) for 3,725 yards and NFL rookie record 27 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
Under the direction of new Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, the interim offensive coordinator for the second half of the 2018 season, Mayfield completed 180 of his 263 attempts (68.4 percent) for 2,254 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
Although Mayfield does not get official credit for the victory over the Jets because he came on in relief of an injured Tyrod Taylor, the first-year quarterback guided the Browns to seven wins and the greatest single-year turnaround in franchise history.
