"I need this revenge game like I need air" - NFL analyst Mina Kimes can't wait for Baker Mayfield to prove his haters wrong
NFL analyst Mina Kimes has backed Baker Mayfield to prove his detractors wrong as the quarterback makes a new beginning in his career. Drafted as the No.1 pick by the Cleveland Browns back in 2018, Mayfield now moves to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the new season.
Baker Mayfield has been traded to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2024 conditional draft pick. The 27-year-old's move happened after the Browns hired Deshaun Watson in a blockbuster trade from the Houston Texans.
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While Mayfield was projected to achieve great things, his career never took off with a series of injuries and poor form compounding his problems. The former Hesiman Trophy winner will now face his former side in Week 1 of the new season.
ESPN's NFL analyst Mina Kimes has called for Mayfield to exact revenge in front of his new home ground. She believes that the quarterback was disrespected in Cleveland and that revenge needs to be had by the former No. 1 pick.
In a social media post, she wrote:
"Baker’s whole underdog/walk-on thing kinda dissipated after he was drafted #1 overall but the chip is BACK and I need this revenge game like I need air."
Kimes had earlier blasted the Browns for signing Deshaun Watson despite the allegations of assault on his name. Cleveland bankrolled a massive $230million deal for the quarterback. Kimes had then accused the Browns of banking on fans, the media, and the NFL to move on from the allegations without consequences.
She had said:
"Of course that's what the Browns bet on when they gave Deshaun Watson $230 million. Not just the fans but the media, the NFL, people in and around this league that we will all move on and forget."
The 26-year-old, meanwhile, continues to deny the allegations. The former Texans star had, at least, 66 massage therapists in a 17-month span between 2019 and 2020. While not all have filed their charges yet, Watson faces a difficult few months ahead.
Baker Mayfield eyes new beginning in Carolina
After a difficult four years in Cleveland, Baker Mayfield moved across to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the new NFL season. The deal sees Cleveland acquire a fourth or fifth-round pick in 2024.
While moving on from Cleveland, the Browns will pay him a wage of more than 50% from his current deal. Baker will reportedly bag $10.5 million from the Browns, while the Panthers will contribute a further $4.85 million in his wage.