Freddie Kitchens is upset with another one of his players this week. After their win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield called out the team’s training staff about the way they handled wide receiver Odell Beckham’s injury. An injury OBJ has played with all season long.
Mayfield suggested after the game that if the Browns training staff had allowed Beckham to undergo surgery for his groin injury during training camp, he would be in better shape than he is right now. Also, have a bigger impact on the team’s offense. Kitchens was not happy with these comments.
“I’d say that it wasn’t handled right,” Mayfield said then. “He’s not able to run as well as he should be able to, as well as he knows. And that’s frustrating for him. You can sense some of his frustration, where that comes from. It wasn’t handled the right way, in our training room. It is what it is. His not 100% is still good enough for us.”
Later during the day, Mayfield clarified his comments on Twitter. Saying he didn’t mean to throw the medical staff under the bus. On Monday, head coach Freddie Kitchens addressed Mayfield’s comments. Also Coach told reporters he didn’t want his quarterback wading into discussions about injured players.
Freddie Kitchens Upset with Baker Mayfield
“We don’t want him addressing other players’ injuries, in that manner especially,” said Kitchens, who met with Mayfield on Monday morning. “Odell and our training staff have done a tremendous job of getting Odell to the game each and every week.”
“It’s been addressed and (Mayfield) understands how to handle things like that moving forward.”
Kitchens also added that there’s been no discussion to shut down Beckham for the remainder of the season even though the Browns, who are 6-7, will likely miss the playoffs again.
“I think he is helping the team,” Kitchens said. “Odell is doing a great job of he wants to be out there for his teammates and I like him to be out there for his teammates. He has been doing a good job of getting prepared during the course of the week to get to the game on Sunday.”
