Baker Mayfield's Talent Not Being Maximized in Browns' System, Hue Jackson Says

Baker Mayfield's former coach believes one reason the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft has not lived up to expectations is the system around him.

"Baker has not played as well as people think he should," former Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson said Friday on ESPN Cleveland (via ESPN's Jake Trotter). "To defend him a little bit, I think Baker is not playing in a system in my mind that showcases his talent and ability. … You take away from who he is anytime he has to go under center."

Jackson coached the Browns from 2016 until he was fired eight games into Mayfield's rookie campaign in 2018. With a 3-36-1 mark, Cleveland was the laughingstock of the league during his tenure.

Many Cleveland fans saw Mayfield as the savior for a franchise that has struggled at the quarterback position. He played well as a rookie, starting 13 games and completing 63.8 percent of his passes for 3,725 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

However, the Browns were among the NFL's biggest disappointments in his second season and failed to live up to the hype as he threw 22 touchdowns to 21 interceptions on the way to a 6-10 record.

Cleveland has looked better this season during a 4-2 start, but much of that is attributable to the talent around Mayfield and a fairly light schedule. Football Outsiders ranks Mayfield as the 25th-best quarterback in the league in its Defense-Adjusted Yards Above Replacement (DYAR) statistic.

In Sunday's 38-7 loss to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, Mayfield threw for 119 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Jackson suggested the coaching staff, led by head coach Kevin Stefanski, needs to improve Mayfield's confidence if the Browns are going to challenge the top teams in the AFC:

Mayfield and Jackson haven't had the best relationship over the years.

In 2018, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported, "From what I hear, Baker Mayfield is not going to exactly miss Hue Jackson" after the coach's firing (h/t Keith Britton of 92.3 The Fan). Mayfield also appeared to take issue with Jackson's decision to join the Cincinnati Bengals as an assistant after he was fired.

"Left Cleveland, goes down to Cincinnati," Mayfield told reporters in November 2018. "I don't know. That's just somebody that's in our locker room asking for us to play for him and then goes to a different team we play twice a year. Everybody can have their spin on it, but that's how I feel."

Jackson and Mayfield also had an awkward handshake on the field after the Browns faced the Bengals that November.