Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield Says He'll 'Absolutely' Kneel
Baker Mayfield has never been one to hide his emotions, and he has made his stance on the protests against social injustice, police brutality and racism quite clear.
In answering a fan comment on Instagram, Mayfield said he will "absolutely" kneel during the national anthem this season.
"It's a pivotal time for change," Mayfield said Thursday, per ESPN. "What's being addressed now obviously has been going on for a long time. So now everybody's finally coming together to address it. And doing it the right way of holding people accountable."
Mayfield, who wore an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt while working out, posted another message later outlining his stance on kneeling.
"Everybody so upset about my comment doesn't understand the reason behind kneeling in the first place," he wrote. "I have the utmost respect for our military, cops, and people that serve OUR country. It's about equality and everybody being treated the same because we are all human. It's been ignored for too long and that [is] my fault as well for not becoming more educated and staying silent."
"If I lose fans, that's OK. I've always spoken my mind. And that's from the heart."
Players from around the league are speaking up when asked for their national anthem plans. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is another.
In other Browns news, the team is reportedly working on a megadeal extension with pass rusher and 2017 No. 1-overall pick Myles Garrett, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Garrett has two more years on his deal, but the Browns are hoping to get in front of what could be a more expensive market moving forward. Garrett had 10 sacks in 10 games last year before serving a six-game suspension.
Cincinnati Bengals: Hope That Joe Burrow Can Spark John Ross
With all the talent the Bengals have at wide receiver in A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and rookie Tee Higgins, it's easy to forget about their first-round pick (No. 9 overall) from 2017.
John Ross has had a rough first three seasons with just 49 catches for 716 yards and 10 touchdowns over that time. He's played in just 24 games due to an assortment of injuries.
But the man who once blazed a record-breaking 4.22 40-yard dash at the Combine feels like he could get on track in 2020 with new No. 1-pick quarterback Joe Burrow.
"I think it [Burrow's confidence] will have an impact on me," Ross told Sports Illustrated’s James Rapien. "I personally think confidence is contagious. I think that energy is contagious. I think positivity is contagious and I see a lot of that in him. Watching his games, just him on the field — somebody catches a good ball or drops a ball or runs a nice route or if it's a bad ball from him … just the energy that he gives you, he wants to get it right. He wants to make sure that everybody is right."
Pittsburgh Steelers: Moving Training Camp From College to the Stadium
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been holding training camp at Saint Vincent in Unity Township every summer since 1966, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to move to a team facility.
The Steelers will hold training camp this year at Heinz Field, the team announced last week.
The Steelers chose Heinz Field instead of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, which has been their training facility since 2000, because the locker room isn't big enough at the Rooney Complex, per Trib Live. There isn't a problem adhering to the NFL's spacing guidelines at Heinz Field.
However, having everybody on the 90-man roster on one field will be a challenge.
