During the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ “In the Current” video summary of the season, published on Wednesday, quarterback Baker Mayfield recognized how horrible his situation was before joining the team.
“I had lost the joy of football,” Mayfield admitted in the video.
Mayfield had a tough 2022 before joining the Buccaneers in March 2023. Mayfield, the No. 1 choice out of Oklahoma in 2018, went from budding stardom to castaway with the Cleveland Browns.
“My path hasn’t gone as planned, with many ups and downs, but I’m just trusting it. “Adversity and how you handle it is a true test of character,” Mayfield told reporters on March 13 after re-signing with the Browns.
After Mayfield’s performance deteriorated in 2021 due to a shoulder injury, the Browns chose to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans in March 2022. Mayfield led the Browns to their first playoff victory since 1994 the previous year, in 2020.
After acquiring Watson, the Browns traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers in July 2022 for a conditional fifth-round pick in 2024. Mayfield performed poorly in Charlotte, completing 57.8% of his passes for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns against six interceptions.
Carolina terminated him in December 2022, but he was given a chance with the Los Angeles Rams, who needed a quarterback with Matthew Stafford out due to injury. Mayfield made the most of his opportunities, completing 63.6% of his throws for 850 yards and four touchdowns to two interceptions.
Buccaneers Had a ‘Good Place’ for Baker Mayfield
Mayfield was presented with an opportunity in 2023 when quarterback Tom Brady retired from the Buccaneers, who were at than $50 million above the salary ceiling at the time. Mayfield’s arrival on a one-year, $4 million contract was also timely for the Buccaneers, who are short on cap space.
“Trusting in yourself and believing in yourself and having that confidence and trusting in God that you have everything you’re capable of and you have it all right there available for you, so just go do that and be the best version of yourself,” Mayfield told reporters at the news conference. “For me, this was a good place that has already shown me that I can do that.”
Baker Mayfield Navigated Rough Start to a Career Year
Baker Mayfield today
381 Pass Yards
4 TD PERFECT
158.3 Pass Rating pic.twitter.com/lV2uCb7wuU— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 17, 2023
His 2023 season had its ups and downs early on, with a four-game losing run in the middle. Mayfield righted the ship by leading the team to the NFC South title and a Division Round game against the Detroit Lions.
Mayfield, a Pro Bowler in 2023, concluded the season with a 64.3% completion rate, 4,044 yards, and 28 touchdowns, all career highs. Mayfield also earned a 94.6 quarterback rating, which was the second highest of his career.
“From the beginning, the organization made me feel comfortable saying, ‘Be the best version of yourself.'” As a quarterback, someone who is always looking at you, there are no words that can make you feel more welcome than that,” Mayfield told reporters.
“I’m simply trying to do the little things properly. Once the play is established, you can truly allow the energy, character, and all of that to rub off on everyone else. For me, just knowing that if you play well and trust the people around you, wonderful things will come.”
All of this led to his signing a three-year, $100 million contract with the team in March. While Mayfield could have taken more money elsewhere, he referred to his opportunity with the Buccaneers as “life-changing money” after resigning with the organization.
“We know which pieces we have. “We’re capable of winning the Super Bowl,” Mayfield told reporters. “You set that standard, and you don’t let anyone go below it.
We’re getting a lot of the same guys back. We were there. When you get a taste of losing in the playoffs, it motivates you even more.”
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