Getty Image / Billie Weiss
Baker Mayfield looked bigger last season, not overweight by any means, but certainly looked like a guy that put an emphasis on bulking up.
This offseason, however, Mayfield will be looking to slim down to regain some of his quickness he lost last season. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Mayfield slimming down and getting into better shape is an important focus for the Browns heading into the 2020 season.
An important focus for the #Browns heading into 2020: QB Baker Mayfield’s fitness and body makeup. From what I understand, he put on some weight last year to bulk up and lost some quickness. His plan is to be slimmer & faster this year, with an emphasis on being in better shape.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2020
If bulking up last season was part of the plan, it made some sense seeing as how Mayfield is an undersized quarterback, but it clearly backfired as his play clearly slipped. It’s worth pointing out that the Browns have Mayfield listed at 215 lbs, the same weight he was at the NFL Combine a few years back.
A few weeks ago someone on Twitter shared a photo of Mayfield and four NFL players including Saquon Barkley hanging out shirtless. Mayfield looks like a random person that just so happened to be on the deck and was lucky enough to make the photo, not like an NFL quarterback making over $8 million per year.
Baker is me every time I take a picture with my skinny friends pic.twitter.com/321mcYE7Kj
— Cleveland Cam (@cleveland_cam) January 30, 2020
Mayfield certainly doesn’t look overweight in the photo, he just doesn’t have six-pack abs like the four other dudes in the picture. It was a lose-lose photo situation for Mayfield, no doubt about it. It is pretty funny imagining someone in the Browns organization seeing this photo and thinking ‘damn, when is the last time Mayfield did a sit-up!?’
I wouldn’t expect to see Mayfield show up to camp this offseason with washboard abs or anything, but it sounds like we’re going to get a slimmer Baker this year.