The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t need to pay quarterback Baker Mayfield to have him go out and do what he did – $165 million to look like 1 of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks in a 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
Mayfield turned the ball over 3 times — 3 lost fumbles — with all 3 leading to points for the Bengals, including a scoop-and-score fumble recovery for a touchdown by Demetrius Knight in the 1st quarter.
“They had 17 points off my turnovers and it was a 1-score game,” Mayfield said after the loss.
They did, but that doesn’t quite get to the heart of things.
Mayfield went 23-of-28 passing for 216 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. That indicates an average day. Mayfield wasn’t average. He was bad.
“Baker, actually, if you look at his stats, he had a good game,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on Sunday night. “But he did like 4 egregiously dumb things, and that’s what ended up getting them.”
Mayfield Signed Massive Contract Before Week 1
paid Baker Mayfield like 1 of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks on Tuesday with a 3-year, $165 million contract extension.
In the 1st half of Sunday’s 33-27 season-opening loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Mayfield looked like 1 of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks.
The Buccaneers turned the ball over 3 times in the 1st half, including 2 disastrous turnovers by Mayfield — he added a 3rd turnover on a lost fumble in the 4th quarter with the Buccaneers behind 30-20 and driving.
Mayfield’s 1st turnover came on a strip-sack fumble in the 1st quarter that Demetrius Knight Jr. returned for a 27-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead. The 2nd turnover came when Mayfield fumbled into the Bengals’ end zone at the 4-yard line — an opportunity Cincinnati’s offense turned into an 80-yard touchdown drive and a 21-3 lead.
As you may have guessed, Mayfield’s wild outing plus his recent contract had social media being less than kind to the former No. 1 overall pick.
How Did Social Media React to Mayfield’s Meltdown?
Mayfield has carved out a reputation for playing loose and fast — which includes not the greatest level of ball security.
“Baker Mayfield leads the NFL in fumbles since 2023 with 32 — that’s his 33rd, and it’s a costly one,” NFL reporter River Wells wrote on X after Mayfield’s 1st fumble.
“The Baker Mayfield Experience continues to be a wild ride,” Barstool Sports wrote on its official X account.
“Baker Mayfield there are expectations and he can’t use the underdog gimmick,” Ghetto Gronk wrote on their official X account.
“The Bucs and Baker Mayfield agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension,” The Ringer and Netflix’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “The sides recently re-engaged and Mayfield is now signed through 2029.”
Mayfield originally came to the Buccaneers on a 1-year, $4 million “prove-it contract” in 2023 and was entering the final season of a 3-year, $100 million contract signed before the 2024 season.
Mayfield previously vowed not to negotiate his contract after training camp began — something his representatives ignored in order to get a deal done.
“Bucs QB Baker Mayfield lost three fumbles in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on Monday. “That’s as many as he’s had in any of his three full seasons in Tampa. Last time he lost more than one in a game was a 2021 Browns loss to Arizona.”
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield Called ‘Egregiously Dumb’ for Week 1 Mistakes