Baker Mayfield worked out in an “I can’t breathe” T-shirt on Saturday, posting video on Instagram. It prompted a fan to ask if the Browns quarterback would kneel for the national anthem this season.
“Please tell Browns fans you’re not going to be kneeling this season,” the fan wrote, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
Mayfield replied with a pointed answer: “pull your head out. I absolutely am.”
Mayfield has spoken out since George Floyd’s death May 25 at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, and he now plans to back up his words in the pregame by joining teammates in protesting social injustice and police brutality.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said earlier this week that the team has not yet discussed the anthem. The Browns are forming a leadership council, which will take the lead on the issue.
“The honest answer is I don’t know,” Stefanski said. “I want to make sure when we get together, that’s one of many issues we need to talk about in this movement, if you will. That’s something that I promise you we will spend as much time as necessary as an organization listening to each other, understanding each other and then we will make a decision together. I hesitate to say because I want to make sure that I am sitting with our guys on things like that.”