A day after quotes came out in GQ where Baker Mayfield took a shot at Giants rookie Daniel Jones (with Mayfield later attempting to walk back those comments), the Browns QB expanded on those comments while also saying he reached out to Jones to clear the air.
During the GQ interview, Mayfield was quoted saying "I cannot believe the Giants took Daniel Jones. Blows my mind." Mayfield also said "Some people overthink it. That's where people go wrong. They forget you've gotta win."
It was unclear whether the second quote alluded to Jones.
Mayfield explained Wednesday that the interview containing the quotes was done in April and that some of it was taken out of context, but said he said he understood how some of it seemed "very disrespectful."
"It had nothing to do specifically about Daniel, about the winning and stuff," Mayfield said, according to NFL.com. "I reached out to Daniel because all that blew out, way out of hand. And I wanted him to know how I felt and I've heard nothing but great things from Saquon (Barkley) and Sterling Shepard -- guys that have a lot of respect for him and that I respect their opinions. Just wanted to clear the air with him."
Jones' response to the text was "no worries," Mayfield said, adding that he only addressed the situation with Jones personally because the initial reaction had made it seem like his "character was way out of line."
While Mayfield explained part of the reason why he felt the comments were taken out of context, his quote that the Jones pick shocked him and that he couldn't believe it wasn't explained further.
After Mayfield's comments emerged on Tuesday, Jones, head coach Pat Shurmur, Evan Engram, and other Giants reacted.
"I try not to listen to much that's said," Jones explained. "I think I've done a pretty good job of that. ...I'm focused on what I'm doing here.'
On the method Mayfield took while bashing him, Jones said "I'm not sure I'd do it that way."
Jones added that he didn't view the swipe as "a main motivator" for him to prove people wrong, that he doesn't know Mayfield, and that the comments from him came "a little bit" out of left field.
Engram's response was more pointed.
"It's kind of dumb," Engram said, according to NJAM. "There's two types of people in this world. There's people who run their mouths and cry for attention and there's people who put their head down, get to work and get stuff done. That's everything Daniel's been doing."
Roughly a month before bashing Jones, Mayfield took aim at Giants fans while also coming to the defense of Odell Beckham Jr., who renewed his attacks on the Giants on Tuesday.
"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 ESPN's Mina 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."
The Giants and Browns don't play one another this year. That matchup will have to wait until 2020.
