The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Mayfield named top rookie of year
Baker Mayfield’s record-setting rookie season isn’t over just yet.
On Jan. 15, the Browns quarterback was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers of America — the first of what could be many top rookie honors for Mayfield.
The PFWA has been awarding rookie of the year awards since 1969, and until 2013 there were separate awards naming the offensive and defensive rookies. In 2013, an overall rookie of the year award was added, and Mayfield took home that honor Jan. 15.
He’s the second Browns rookie to be honored by the PFWA. In 1982, linebacker Chip Banks was the PFWA defensive rookie of the year.
Joining Mayfield were Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who was named the top offensive rookie, and Colts linebacker Darius Leonard, who won the top defensive rookie honor.
Mayfield is the first quarterback taken No. 1 overall to be honored with a PFWA award since the Panthers’ Cam Newton won the offensive award in 2011.
It was a breakout season for Mayfield, who played in 14 games — including 13 starts — after replacing starter Tyrod Taylor earlier in the season in a game vs. the Jets. Once Mayfied was put in the starting lineup, he never went back to the bench.
Mayfield finished with 3,725 passing yards, which is the most ever by a Browns rookie and the sixth-most by a rookie QB in NFL history. He completed 63.8 percent of his passes.
His 27 touchdown passes — against 14 interceptions — are the most ever by a rookie QB, and one more than Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson had in their rookie campaigns.
The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Oklahoma made his debut Sept. 20 against the Jets off the bench and rallied the Browns to a 21-17 win.
In that game, he threw for 201 yards on 17 of 23
passing.
Mayfield’s high-water mark came against the Bengals on Nov. 25 when he threw a seasonhigh four touchdowns and passed for 258 yards in a 3520
win. Mayfield also had three other games in which he threw for at least three TDs, plus three 300-yard passing games.
Mayfield threw at least one TD pass in all 13 of his
starts. He’s the third player in NFL history to throw for at least one TD in each of his first 10 starts.
He also named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month in November.