Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Richard Sherman plans to apologize to Baker Mayfield following the controversy that erupted over Sherman’s comments to Mike Silver of NFL.com following the 49ers 31-3 win over the Browns.
In a conversation with Silver, Sherman ripped Mayfield for not shaking his hand during the pregame coin toss and disrespecting him.
“I respect him and who he is as a player for a while,” Mayfield said of Sherman, who intercepted one of his passes in the first quarter.
Multiple videos surfaced Tuesday showing that Mayfield in fact did shake Sherman’s hand and the 49ers cornerback did a mea culpa Wednesday morning while a guest of the ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’
“It’s definitely my bad,” Sherman told McAfee. “I never want anybody to have to deal with some s--- that they didn’t do. And so, you know, the questions that he’s gonna get and the annoying, nonsense questions about some stuff that happened in a game that’s already been done, you know, sure he’ll get an apology for that. I’ll probably reach out to him via text or social media to actually get a hold of him and talk to him in person, I mean on the phone. But, yeah, because that sucks.
“Yeah, yeah, he definitely deserves an apology, and that’s my bad on that.”
Tuesday afternoon Sherman didn’t back down on Twitter saying he felt disrespected by Mayfield and he reiterated that point with McAfee.
“I may have phrased it differently, but I meant what I said,” Sherman said. “I did feel the disrespect. . . . I felt disrespect and at the end of the day that’s all the story was, really. Like, people can say, ‘Oh my God, he shook your hand’ or ‘Oh my God you were wrong.’ You can say whatever you want. I don’t give a damn.”
Sherman’s comments that Silver’s article was centered upon set off a firestorm of criticism of Mayfield nationally providing countless content for broadcasters and publishers all day Tuesday, but multiple videos of the exchange and Sherman’s comments vindicated the Browns QB.
“I know what I did,” Mayfield said following practice Wednesday. “That’s the one time the camera and something recording me has gone in my favor.”
While Sherman finally walked back his baseless claim, the damage to Mayfield and his character had already been done.
“I’m not worried about it,” Mayfield said. “I know exactly what I did. It is what it is for you guys and people want to portray an image of me, who I am as a person, I could care less.”
Mayfield and the Browns are marked men as evidenced by the amount of joy Nick Bosa took in hitting the quarterback multiple times, sacking him twice as well as forcing and recovering a fumble for the 49ers in the win.
Mayfield had his worst game as a pro completing just 8 of 22 passes for 100 yards and 2 interceptions in that loss. He was asked if he feels opponents are making it personal.
“I don’t think Sherman’s was a personal vendetta. He said what he said,” Mayfield said. “But Bosa’s – good for him. He had it premeditated. He’s been thinking about that obviously for two years now, so that’s a long time to think about that loss.”
