With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally finding their next offensive coordinator in former Falcons man Zac Robinson, it has been reported that Baker Mayfield was a huge reason why.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Mayfield played a huge role in talks surrounding Robinson, as he had previously worked with Robinson in Los Angeles with the Rams. Because of the way it was said to have rejuvenated his career, Mayfield wanted to work with Robinson again.
Mayfield was actually a late season addition for the Rams in 2022, being claimed on waivers after injuries hit the QB room. He ended up playing in five games, starting four of them. In that time, Mayfield completed 63.6 percent of his passes, throwing four touchdowns and two interceptions. Robinson happened to be the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach for LA back then, starting a great relationship that hopes to carry over to Tampa.
A Familiar Voice for Baker Mayfield
The challenge for Robinson in Tampa Bay will be setting a solid foundation for Mayfield and the offense. Robison will be Mayfield’s fourth offensive coordinator in three years, as either the former ones left for head coaching opportunities or were fired. Last season, under Josh Grizzard, the offense finished 21st in total yards per game and 18th in scoring.
Robinson, coming from the Sean McVay coaching tree, has been known to be a creative play caller that can implement a lot of pre-snap motion into an offense that can help create matchups for certain skill players. With the Falcons, he led them to be the 14th ranked offense in terms of yards per game and were sixth in 2024.
Can Zac Robinson Bring Stability to Tampa Bay?
Stability however, could be a double-edged sword. While Mayfield has not had stability when it comes to play-calling, Robinson has inherited an offense that will return several key players. Robinson never got a fully healthy season from either Michael Penix Jr. or Kirk Cousins, but now gets one of the league’s most durable QBs in Baker Mayfield, who has not missed a start in his Bucs career.
Throughout Robinson’s career, he has been heavily inspired by his time with the Rams, saying that he has tried to mimic their blueprint in his play calling and coaching style. “I think you look at that building, it’s an incredible culture set by Sean [McVay], set by the leaders in each position in that building. It’s a – the phrase that Sean always used, and it’s so true. There’s an urgency and enjoyment as well. Urgency and enjoyment. I think that’s displayed every single day in that building”, Robinson said of the culture he saw in LA.
Tampa Bay fans will hope that that same culture finds it way to their Bucs as they try to fin a sense of stability and urgency, as Robinson says, in their offense. The fact that Baker himself has endorsed the hiring of Robinson should be a good sign of things to come for the Bucs offense.
Baker Mayfield Has Strong Thoughts on Zac Robinson