How Baker Mayfield Saved His Career With the Buccaneers

When he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Baker Mayfield was the lates in a long line of Browns quarterbacks. From 2010-2018, Cleveland had 16 different starting quarterbacks, with Mayfield being the 17th.

Entering the NFL, expectations fluctuated for Mayfield. The then-23-year-old was fresh off of a Heisman Trophy campaign at Oklahoma, but Cleveland’s inability to develop quarterbacks stacked against Mayfield.

Despite the spotlight of being a No. 1 pick, Mayfield shined as a rookie, leading the Browns to a 7-8-1 record after going 0-16 the season prior.

Mayfield went on to lead the Browns to their first winning season in 13 years in 2020, their first playoff berth since 2002, and their first playoff win since their previous iteration in 1994. However, he was ultimately replaced in Cleveland, before bouncing around to two teams during the 2022 campaign.

Mayfield was written off going into Tampa Bay, as even the Bucs only gave him a one-year "prove-it" deal for a mere $4 million, and oh, did he prove it.

Here’s how the Pro Bowl quarterback revived his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cleveland Browns
2018-2021, 60 Games

From the time he was selected with the No. 1 pick in 2018, the city of Cleveland put all its hope into Mayfield after one of the worst stretches in NFL history from 1999-2017. Mayfield lived up to the hype in year one, throwing for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdowns in just 13 games as the starter and leading the team to its best season since 2014.

The next season, Mayfield struggled, as the Browns finished just 6-10 and their quarterback threw 21 interceptions. Cleveland’s lack of success resulted in the firing of head coach Freddie Kitchens.

The next season gave Browns fans exactly what they had hoped for when the team selected Mayfield, as the team finished 11-5 and won their first playoff game since 1994 in a huge Wild Card matchup against their division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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The next season, the Browns, and their quarterback, struggled once again. Entering the offseason, questions began to arise about Mayfield’s future in Cleveland as the Browns looked to begin a new era under head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was hired in 2020, after Mayfield had been drafted, and was not beholden to the draft picks of his predecessors.

Mayfield was ultimately moved from Cleveland in a trade with the Carolina Panthers, sending the quarterback to the NFC in 2022 for nothing but a conditional fifth-round pick.

Carolina Panthers
2022, 7 Games

Mayfield’s time in Carolina was short-lived, as the quarterback mustered just a 1-5 record in his six games as the Panthers’ starter.

Mayfield threw for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns with six interceptions in his time in Carolina. After seven games, Mayfield approached the front office about a release and the two sides mutually agreed to part ways.

With his departure from Carolina, many began to write Mayfield off. The media raised questions about Mayfield’s future, leaving fans to wonder if the former Heisman Trophy winner could replicate the magic he displayed in Cleveland.

After signing with the Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield looked to show the league he could still contribute as a starting QB.

Los Angeles Rams
2022, 4 Games

Imagine this. You’re an NFL quarterback who just landed with your new team. Two days after you land in your new city, you’re thrust into the starting job on a Thursday Night primetime game and asked to lead a team to a win when you haven’t even had the opportunity to learn everyone’s names yet.

If you have done that, you’re likely Baker Mayfield, who signed with the Rams on a Tuesday, went to practice on Wednesday and started on Thursday for the Rams in Week 14. In an exciting matchup, the Rams had the ball at their own two-yard line, down by six points, with 1:45 on the clock.

With every play that passed on that eight-play, 98-yard drive, Mayfield proved the doubters wrong, leading his new team to an unlikely 17-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Unfortunately for Mayfield, the quarterback couldn’t find another win in his short tenure with Los Angeles, and he was only thrust into the starting role because of regular starter Matthew Stafford's injuries, setting him up to hit the open market in 2023.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2023-Present, 17 Games

Continuing to bet on himself, Mayfield signed with the Buccaneers, looking to lead a talented roster in need of strong quarterback play following the loss of Tom Brady.

Mayfield signed for a measly sum, and he wasn't even guaranteed the starting role, as he had to beat out Kyle Trask and John Wolford for the role. Once Mayfield emerged as QB1, many questioned how the Buccaneers would perform with him at the helm, but no one could predict what was to come.

Once again showing he still had the magic, Mayfield led the Buccaneers to an improbable NFC South title. Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns, leading Tampa Bay to a 9-8 record and a massive playoff upset over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Entering the game as underdogs at home, the Buccaneers blew out the Eagles 32-9 in a game that saw Mayfield throw for 337 yards and three touchdowns in a Wild Card-round upset that capped Philly's historic collapse down the stretch.

Entering the 2024 offseason, Mayfield was in a good spot, with many suitors looking to sign him to a long-term deal, but he chose to re-up with the team that believed in him in 2023, signing a three-year, $100 million extension with $50 million guaranteed.

The Bucs clearly know what they have now, but the rest of the NFL world is not on the same page quite yet, as most are expecting the Atlanta Falcons to win the NFC South next season, boasting -120 odds to do so on BetMGM, and Mayfield and his Bucs back at +300. Good thing those boys in