Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku appeared on The Rich Eisen Show Wednesday and was asked about Hue Jackson.
Specifically, he was asked about the way Baker Mayfield went after Jackson so fervently after the coach was fired. Njoku backed his quarterback and confirmed that the Browns as a whole felt “disrespected” by their former head coach.
“Well, obviously we weren’t happy with what Hue said about us after he left. It is what it is,” Njoku said. “Baker didn’t appreciate it. We came together after Hue left and took it upon ourselves to work extra hard to finish the year strong. . . . Baker has a voice, as we all do, and he didn’t appreciate what happened. It’s not like we’re robots. We felt, in a way, disrespected. It is what it is.”
The Browns galvanized in a big way after Jackson was fired last season. They won five of their final eight games playing for interim head coach Gregg Williams after going 2-5-1 under Jackson.
Mayfield continued to take shots at Jackson throughout the season, and after it was over.
Now with rookie head coach Freddie Kitchens at the helm, the Browns will need to find some new way to stay motivated amid high expectations. It’s going to be a fascinating team to watch, win or lose.