Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield stood up for new Cleveland wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and in doing so took a shot at Giants fans.
Mayfield, a "rules follower" as a child, his mom told ESPN's Mina Kimes in a story published Wednesday morning, has earned a reputation as being outspoken since his time at Oklahoma.
Mayfield told Kimes that he's bothered by misinformation being spread about Beckham, and that's when he took a dig at Giants fans.
"He's here to work, and he wants to be surrounded by people who love him and support him and allow him to be himself," Mayfield told Kimes. "He's here to play in front of fans who actually care, who will actually show up to every game and pack the stadium and love him for who he is."
Beckham, who the Giants selected out of LSU with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, had a mixed relationship with the organization and its fans, who were surprised to see Beckham dealt to Cleveland after he signed a five-year, $95 million extension with the Giants last August.
The Browns and Giants aren't scheduled to play this season, and the earliest they'll meet in the regular season is 2020
The quarterback has been coming to Beckham's defense since the Browns acquired him in March from the Giants for a first-round pick (Dexter Lawrence), a third-round pick (Oshane Ximines) and Jabrill Peppers.
In April, Mayfield went back and forth with Fox Sports radio host Colin Cowherd after Cowherd said Beckham wasn't happy about being traded to Cleveland.
"He didn't want to go to Cleveland. He wanted to go to L.A.," Cowherd said on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on April 5.
Mayfield responded on Twitter to Cowherd's comments, tweeting: "Come to Cleveland and ask (Odell) if he actually likes it."
Then in May, Mayfield called Cowherd a "clown" on Twitter after Cowherd listed the top 10 moments of Beckham's career, listing several of his off-the-field incidents and sideline antics, including his infamous trip to Miami and fight with a kicking net.
Beckham defended himself in a series of tweets: "Just put some respect on my name as ur talkin bout me and my family to booost ur TV shows and ratings. If I was GREAT then u and others wouldn't talk about me this much. I DONT hear much talk bout anybody else at All."
Then his quarterback went to bat for him.
"Once again, you're a clown ... . now I know you're just trying to get me fired up," Mayfield tweeted in response to the list. "'Most memorable moments' ... he's 26 and his greatest moments are ahead of him. You forget the kids and people he inspires. That goes much further than football ... "
