Baker Mayfield Photographed Training In "I Can't Breathe" Shirt

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has always found his own way to send a message. He was recently photographed training in the iconic "I Can't Breathe" shirt that NBA players made famous after Eric Garner died in 2014.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has not been as vocal as some of his teammates such as Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham, and Myles Garrett on the issue of racism and social justice in America, but he has not sat on the sidelines either. Even when he's not actively speaking out against racism, he is furthering the causes of others through social media. Mayfield was recently photographed working out in the iconic "I Can't Breathe" shirt.

"I can't breathe" has unfortunately been an all too common refrain among minority men who have died while in police custody. George Floyd is only the most recent example. NBA players including LeBron James wore the shirt in response to the death of Eric Garner in 2014, when he uttered the same phrase in his final moments before dying while at the hands of law enforcement.

Mayfield was among the 40 members of the Browns organization that signed a letter to Congress organized by the Players Coalition with the goal of ending qualified immunity for police officers.

Mayfield along with his wife Emily also donated meals to food banks in Cleveland as well as Norman, Oklahoma in response to COVID-19. While he did make an announcement with his wife about the donation to food banks, it was more with an intent to encourage others to donate. For the most part, Mayfield has been relatively understated in his support for causes such as social justice, sending the message in his own way such as he is with this shirt.

Mayfield knows how visible he is and he knows that if he does something like wear a shirt like this one, it's going to become public. It's not even the first time Mayfield has used a shirt to send a message. 

In pregame warmups before a game with Texas Tech, Mayfield wore a shirt that said 'Traitor' on it that Tech fans had made for him the year before after he transferred to Oklahoma. He left Waco after he was not offered a scholarship despite starting a number of games for the Red Raiders.