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Certainly, the timing is there for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Browns were eliminated from the playoffs by the upstart Texans on Saturday and Mayfield will have his shot at taking down the Eagles on Monday night here in the NFL’s Wild Card weekend. There would be some justice for Mayfield if the Buccaneers can win while the Cleveland Browns are packing for the offseason.
Asked this week by NFL Network host Rich Eisen about what he has been able to accomplish here in this make-good season in Tampa, Mayfield took a jab at his former employer. He was the No. 1 pick of the Browns in 2018 and played his first four seasons there, compiling a 29-30 record as a starter.
“For me, it was getting an opportunity to play in a stable organization,” Mayfield said, pretty clearly implying that his previous stops—certainly with the Cleveland Browns and then with the Carolina Panthers—were not stable organizations.
Hard to argue that. As a rookie, Mayfield’s first coach was Hue Jackson, who was fired midseason and replaced by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. The Browns also switched offensive coordinators. In his second season, it was Freddy Kitchens as the head coach and Todd Monken as the offensive coordinator. His third and fourth seasons, with Kevin Stefanski and Alex Van Pelt, were the only time in his career he had the same coaches in back-to-back years.
‘Baker Mayfield Has Been Through a Lot’
It was more of the same for Mayfield last year when he went to Carolina, saw Matt Rhule fired and replaced by Steve Wilks, got released and went to play for Sean McVay in Los Angeles. Pro Football Focus summed it up with a graphic on Twitter, with the caption, “Baker Mayfield has been through a lot.” It showed the seven coaches he’d played for, the most for a quarterback in his first five seasons since 1950.
But Mayfield said the stability he has found in Tampa goes beyond the coaches. He has also found that the Buccaneers allow him to be himself more, accepting that he has a sometimes offbeat and quirky personality.
“I’ve said this to our local people a lot, they’ve empowered me to be the best version of myself,” Mayfield said. “That’s all you can ask for. That goes back to predraft stuff, knowing Todd Bowles when he was with the Jets. And saying if I was going to be there (in New York), he wanted me to be me and do that at a high level. I can’t say enough about them empowering me and allowing me to do that. I’m having fun playing football and that’s when I am at my best.”
Buccaneers Offer More Freedom Than Cleveland Browns
Eisen asked Mayfield to expand on what he means by being himself. He was a bit more restrained when playing for the Cleveland Browns. Not so much with the Buccaneers.
“You know I am going to give some side-jabs here and there and have some fun around the locker room and the organization,” Mayfield said. “They just get used to it. They understand I am just having fun. I have always enjoyed the way people are wired, whether they need an arm around them or a little rib-jab. So, just allowing me to be the best version of my leadership-wise. I have enjoyed that.”
And of course, the big question for Mayfield is the one he has pretty consistently dodged—where is he going to play next season? Mayfield was signed to a bargain deal by the Buccaneers in March, but it was a one-year offer. Now, he is a free agent and set to cash in, either with the Bucs or elsewhere.
Eisen asked if he was expecting to stay put. “I would hope for that,” Mayfield said. “But here’s the thing: I’ve allowed myself going into free agency to show people what I am capable of. It’s been a great place here and I’d love to be back.”
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