“I think Deshaun gives us the best chance to win, continues to give us the best chance to win,” said Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski when asked if he would bench Deshaun Watson in favor of Jameis Winston. This was after yet another rough outing on Sunday, losing 20-16 to the Philadelphia Eagles. And now, with a 1-5 record this season, many believe Watson isn’t what the Browns need. The Patriots’ former tight end, Rob Gronkowski, is one of them.

In the October 15 episode of the Dudes On Dudes podcast, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman discussed Baker Mayfield extensively while also focusing on his time with the Browns (and the current quarterback situation in Cleveland). The former tight end had nothing but nice things to say about Mayfield’s character, and according to Gronk, the quarterback’s “tough time in Cleveland wasn’t necessarily his fault.”

After the Browns snapped him up as the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, Baker Mayfield spent 4 seasons with the team – from 2018 to 2021. “He had a couple of different offensive coordinators, [he got] banged up a little bit,” Gronkowski said. In the first year, Todd Haley was the franchise’s offensive coordinator. In 2019, Todd Monken took over. And for the quarterback’s last couple of seasons, it was Alex Van Pelt. However, in that final season before their split, Mayfield had injury after injury, one that started with a torn labrum in Week 2. But that wasn’t all.

Gronkowski added, “I think [he had] a couple of different head coaches. It just wasn’t a good situation. It was kind of a cursed situation to be the quarterback of the Browns. He was about the 15th starter for them in the last 5 years for them.” Head coach Hue Jackson, interim head coach Gregg Williams, head coach Freddie Kitchens, and head coach Kevin Stefanski.

Despite the situation in Cleveland, the quarterback had a passer rating of 87.8 with 14,125 yards, 92 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions in 60 games. But since leaving the Browns, it looks like he’s stepped it up a notch. In 33 games combined for the Panthers, Rams, and Buccaneers, he’s had a passer rating of 91.0 with 7191 yards, 46 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. As Rob Gronkowski said, “I feel like he learned from his mistakes. He’s a good food; he’s resilient.”

Considering all that the Buccaneers quarterback has achieved since leaving the Browns, Julian Edelman couldn’t help but say, “I bet you, Cleveland looking back on this whole thing, is probably like, ‘Man, we wish we had Baker still.'” After all, he led Tampa Bay to the playoffs in his first season with the team. Agreeing with the former wide receiver, Gronk added, “Cleveland made a mistake letting Baker Mayfield go. They 100% did. I think it was the best thing to happen to Baker – him getting let go by Cleveland.” Why?

“They’re (the Browns) cursed, bro. They’re cursed,” explained Gronk on the Dudes On Dudes podcast. “Their quarterback situation is cursed. I would say the best quarterback they had was Joe Flacco, and then they let him go. He’s a backup now with the Colts.” While he may not have outright mentioned Deshaun Watson, it was evident what the former tight end meant. Watson isn’t really the quarterback the Browns need at the moment. If we take just this season, in the 6 games he’s played, Watson has 1,020 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions with a passer rating of just 76.6.

As for his time in Cleveland, having played a total of 18 games, he has a passer rating of 79.8 with 3,237 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. With a 1-5 record, the Browns are currently fourth in the AFC North. They’ve failed to win a championship since 1964. Add to that “a series of questionable coaching or quarterback decisions, disappointing losses, and draft busts,” and it’s all contributed to the troubled phase that the franchise is going through. With Watson now, the team is still finding ways to establish themselves in the league.

As for the Buccaneers, they have a 4-2 record this season and are currently sitting second in the NFC South. In the 6 games he’s played, Mayfield has thrown for 1,489 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions with a passer rating of 109.4. So, whatever led to the quarterback’s move out of Cleveland – whether it be injuries, his inconsistent performances as a result, or Odell Beckham Sr.’s video criticizing Mayfield – Rob Gronkowski believes it’s all worked out for the better.

Rob Gronkowski’s appreciation for Baker Mayfield’s character

“The building was a little bit different with Tom [Brady] in there… He had everybody dialed in, a high-strung environment. So, I think everybody was pretty stressed out… They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football, for guys who weren’t having as much fun.” Baker Mayfield said this while explaining the environment in Tampa Bay’s locker room, how they wanted a quarterback who would easily gel with the team.

However, it didn’t sit well with Brady, as was evident when he said, “Stressful is not having Super Bowl rings.” Although Mayfield’s comments about Brady and the situation in the locker room may have come off as arrogant, Gronk’s comments about the 29-year-old showed that he’s anything but. The former Patriots tight end highlighted, “What I really like about the dude is like he’s just a normal dude. He just wants to have a good time. He actually signed a three-year, $100 million deal the morning of [a workout session with me], and then he came to the session that day and it was like nothing happened.”

Back in March, Mayfield and the Buccaneers agreed on a 3-year, $100 million deal and $50 million guaranteed. Despite the magnitude of the contract and the meaning behind it, “It was just like he showed up, he didn’t have an ego, he didn’t have a big head. He just showed up [and put in the work]. That’s what I appreciate about him,” Gronk added. The 35-year-old called him a “dawg” and praised his “wonderful personality.”

That said, what’s your take on the quarterback situation in the Browns?