BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield got into a testy exchange with a reporter Wednesday before abruptly walking out of his media availability.
Mayfield was being asked if the Browns had lacked urgency on a possession at the end of the first half during Sunday's 27-13 loss at New England.
Mayfield cited a penalty for derailing the drive, which ended on a short third-and-long pass as time expired. He then interjected during a follow-up question.
"Stop saying 'but.' I just told you the clock was running and we had a penalty," Mayfield said to Tony Grossi, a reporter for 850 WKNR radio, an ESPN affiliate in Cleveland. "You want to give them the ball back? No. You don't play, you don't know it. That's just plain and simple."
Grossi then asked if Mayfield was happy with the way the drive ended.
"Was I happy with the drive? No, we didn't score points," Mayfield answered. "The dumbest question you could ask. What? Jesus, Tony."
Mayfield then walked away from the lectern. A few minutes later, he took to Twitter to air his frustration.
say that I've gotten complacent. My sense of urgency is at an all time high. And if I offend anybody along the way... that's too bad
— Baker Mayfield (@bakermayfield) October 30, 2019
Grossi said later on 850 that it was not the first time he had been at odds with Mayfield this season.
"I didn't want to be in a confrontation with the quarterback of the Cleveland Browns, but he had been disrespectful so many times in the last couple weeks in response to simple questions by me," Grossi said.
Browns left guard Joel Bitonio offered support to his teammate.
"I understand his passion and his desire to win," he said. "He really wants to be the best and I feel like in that situation he feels like he's being attacked. He probably feels like he answered the question to his fullest ability and he feels like it's being piled on.
"Is it the right thing to do to storm off? Probably not, but that's his personality. He's fiery, he wants to be the best, and I think that just shows that he's trying to get us to a certain level."
Bitonio said doesn't feel the need to discuss the situation with Mayfield.
"It's one of those situations where I just kind of keep my hands out of it and let Baker be Baker," he said. "That's just who he is."
Despite being a trendy pick to win the AFC North Division before the season, the Browns are now 2-5. Mayfield has thrown an interception in every game this season and is tied with Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston for the most picks in the NFL this year.
Cleveland travels to Denver to face the Broncos on Sunday.