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Baker Mayfield mind games in full effect ahead of revenge game against Browns [VIDEO]

Coming out of the national anthem, quarterback Baker Mayfield stares down former team.

Baker Mayfield #6 of the Carolina Panthers warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

The Carolina Panthers enter a new era under center. The team acquired Baker Mayfield to be their new quarterback during the 2022 preseason. Mayfield was previously drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. In a story you can’t make up, Mayfield gets to don his new uniform for the first time against his old team.

Mayfield has always bet on himself. He turned heads at the University of Oklahoma on his way to winning the 2017 Heisman trophy. Mayfield was known for psyching out his opponents and carrying himself confidently. Directly after the national anthem on Sunday, Mayfield appeared to begin walking down the sideline, staring daggers at the Cleveland bench.

When Mayfield is in his element, he rises above. He surpasses all the people thinking he can’t do something or that he can’t measure up. With his tumultuous breakup with Cleveland, you know Mayfield had this game circled on his calendar all off-season. Whether he let slip some trash talk during some media segments or if he kept to himself, Mayfield is always calculating. He is playing out the final year of his rookie deal and needs to make a statement to earn a lucrative second contract.

Whether you are a Panthers fan or someone that loves when players play passionately, this action from Mayfield is just what you want to see. He did lead only a three and out his first drive, but keep watching. Mayfield is amped up, and that is when he is primed to put on a show.