Former Browns Coach Reveals Shocking Take On Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield’s time with the Cleveland Browns was certainly interesting, but unfortunately, the Browns were never able to develop any sort of consistency with Mayfield at quarterback.

Now, Mayfield is under center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and looks revitalized after enjoying what was probably the best season of his career in 2023.

But some Cleveland fans still wonder what could have been if Mayfield would have remained with the Browns.

Former Cleveland defensive coordinator/interim coach Gregg Williams had some major praise for Mayfield during an appearance on 92.3 The Fan on Thursday.

“I really believe that I could have won a championship with Baker at quarterback,” Williams said on Baskin & Phelps. “I believe that with all my heart, and I’m proud of what he’s been able to continue to do.”

Williams served as Browns defensive coordinator for all of 2017 and then half of 2018 before being elevated to the role of interim head coach after Hue Jackson’s firing.

Cleveland was 2-5-1 when Williams assumed the position in 2018 (which was Mayfield’s rookie campaign), but he then led the Browns to a 5-3 record the rest of the way and nearly guided them to the playoffs.

However, that ensuing offseason, Cleveland named offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens the new head coach and parted ways with Williams in the process.

The Browns selected Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. He ended up spending four seasons in Cleveland, piloting the club to a playoff appearance in 2020. That represented the Browns’ first trip to the postseason since 2002. Mayfield even led Cleveland to a playoff win that year, which marked the franchise’s first such feat since re-entering the NFL in 1999.

The Browns ended up trading Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers in July 2022, months after acquiring Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans.

Perhaps things would have been different if Cleveland would have opted to retain Williams during that fateful 2019 offseason. We’ll never know for sure.