Odell Beckham Jr. is cheering on Baker Mayfield from afar.
The free-agent wide receiver supported his former Browns quarterback on Saturday, when Mayfield made his debut for the Carolina Panthers, roughly nine months after Beckham endured his own messy breakup with Cleveland.
In response to an Instagram post that featured Mayfield in his Panthers uniform, Beckham remarked on the NFL’s official page, “Go shine!!!!!!!”
Baker Mayfield during his Carolina Panthers debut on August 13, 2022.Getty ImagesMayfield, who was traded to Carolina earlier this summer, completed 4 of 7 attempts for 45 yards and zero touchdowns in Saturday’s 23-21 win over Washington. Mayfield’s competition, former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, threw an 8-yard touchdown to receiver Rashard Higgins.
Panthers coach Matt Rhule said postgame that both signal-callers “played well.”
“Obviously Sam got us in the end zone, Baker got us down the field,” Rhule said. “Looked like both guys played well.”
The Panthers’ quarterback competition will continue this weekend, when the team visits the New England Patriots on Friday night.
Former Browns teammates Odell Beckham Jr. and Baker Mayfield in October 2021.Getty ImagesMuch has changed in the past year for Beckham, 29, and Mayfield, 27, who were in Cleveland together for two-and-a-half seasons. Despite the Browns going on a playoff run in 2020, the team faltered the following year, as rumors of discord between Beckham and Mayfield began to surface. Beckham was released by the Browns last November and went on to sign with the eventual Super Bowl-champion Rams.
In the days leading up to the receiver’s departure, Beckham’s father appeared to blame Mayfield for his son’s lackluster season. Beckham Sr. shared an 11-minute video on Instagram that documented the number of times the former first-round pick wasn’t thrown the ball during games.
“I wish him well, I really do. My feelings haven’t changed,” Mayfield said of Beckham after the wideout’s release. “From a personal standpoint, he’s a good friend of mine. … But I’m worried about the guys in our locker room. I’m proud of these guys, how they were able to focus up despite all the bulls–t that was going on this week and how they were able to do their job. We’re going to see if we can build on it and continue to get better.”
Odell Beckham Jr. catches a pass during the Rams’ Super Bowl win in February 2022.Getty Images
Odell Beckham Jr. during the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals in February 2022.Getty ImagesMayfield, who grappled with injuries during his 2021 campaign, went on to have his own contentious exit from Cleveland when the organization traded for his replacement in then-Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson in March. Mayfield was dealt to the Panthers in July — four months after he initially requested a trade from the Browns.
Watson currently faces a six-game ban, which the NFL is appealing to extend for the whole season, stemming from sexual misconduct allegations.
The Panthers host the Browns in Week 1 of the regular season.
