Forty-niners cornerback Richard Sherman made headlines on Tuesday morning after San Francisco’s leveling of the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football, alleging that Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield refused to shake his hand before the coin toss.
According to NFL.com, Sherman blasted Mayfield after the game, saying “What’s amazing and annoying was him [Baker Mayfield] not shaking hands at the beginning. That’s some college s***. It’s ridiculous. We’re all trying to get psyched up, but shaking hands with your opponent –– that’s NFL etiquette. And when you pull bush league stuff, that’s disrespect to the game. And believe me, that’s gonna get us fired up.”
It wouldn't have been the first time Mayfield had been involved in a handshake controversy. In 2017 Kansas Jayhawks captains refused to shake Mayfield's hand before a KU/Oklahoma game. Mayfield would then infamously yell 'F** YOU' and grab his crotch on the sidelines as the Sooners began to predictably blowout Kansas. The controversy has followed Mayfield ever since.
Additional video released Tuesday, however, most notably shared by former NFL punter and now popular radio host Pat McAfee painted a much different picture than the one Sherman depicted, as new angles show Mayfield indeed acknowledged Sherman at midfield during the coin toss, and the two legitimately shook hands.
Sherman took to Twitter to inflame the story even more, taking shots at Browns fans who were questioning his claims that Mayfield never shook his hand. Sherman tweeted 'Yea that looks like him reaching out for a handshake as I'm standing right in front of him. But hey your a Browns fan how can i expect anything logical to make sense'. He followed that up with 'hahahahaha a Browns fan thinking I have to make up a story lmao. Hahaha hope your time as a browns fan has been as enjoyable as I think it has'. Then Sherman outright tweeted 'He didn't shake my hand'.
Sherman would later delete the tweets and clarify to NFL Network’s Albert Breer that it was Mayfield ‘darting away after the toss’ that angered the 49ers, and that the media was ‘making way too big of a story.’ Video shows Mayfield running to the sidelines after the coin toss (After having already shook hands once), with some 49ers and Browns players embracing for a seond set of hand shakes.
Sherman would then acknowledged that Mayfield shook his hand, but that it was a ‘petty’ shake, tweeting ‘So you don’t see any difference in the way I shake everyone else’s hand and the guy who stands back with the petty shake. Was BS and I took offense to it then turns and runs. It’s not that big of deal.’
Neither the Browns nor Mayfield have commented on the ‘story’.