Austin Hooper defends Baker Mayfield amid criticism

There seems to be no shortage of criticism for Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield as of late, but tight end Austin Hooper has come to his defense

Baker Mayfield has gone from the hero of the Cleveland Browns to a player that everyone seems to be criticizing. He can be included in this as well as he’s been as hard on himself as anyone — which was on full display when he was disgusted with his own performance in a Week 11 win over the Detroit Lions.

On the season, Mayfield has led the Browns to a 5-6 record while completing just 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,413 yards. Even less impressive is his 11 touchdowns on the season — although he does have just six picks.

Still, he expects better as do those who have been following him. Even so, he has believers in the halls of Berea according to starting tight end Austin Hooper. Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Hooper said that everyone who is a part of the team believes in No. 6 and still sees him as the leader of the franchise.

"“Everyone in this building believes in him,’’ Hooper said Wednesday via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “No matter where you stand with anything, anybody, you can’t ever question Bake’s toughness, and for him to have a week to just heal up alone is huge. We all believe in him. We have believed in him. We’ll continue to believe in him. He’s the leader of our football team, so, I mean, we’re ready to watch him be him.”"

First off, Hooper should be praised for sticking up for Mayfield. While Baker surely doesn’t need others to speak for him, it’s nice to hear a respected veteran say that Mayfield is the man that this team believes in. This is a stark contrast from some of the social media slandering that has come from the parents of certain players who may or may not still be with the team.

Hooper is also correct in saying no one can question the toughness of Mayfield — even though some question whether or not he should continue to play through injuries.

Heading into Week 14, the Browns still have a shot in the AFC North and a win over the Baltimore Ravens would go a long way toward helping them get after that goal.

As for Austin Hooper, he believes Cleveland still has the right guy for such a tough task.