Baker Mayfield describes feeling like "dirty laundry" before joining Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield has opened up about the time before joining the Buccaneers when life was hardly as serene as he now finds it in Tampa Bay. The quarterback was the franchise player for the Cleveland Browns, who turned the organization around from being perennial losers to making it to the playoffs.
But two years ago, his form dipped and the Browns decided they were better off with someone like Deshaun Watson. Whether that has worked out for them or not is a different matter, but it meant that Baker Mayfield had to be shipped off to the Carolina Panthers. He endured a torrid time there, losing the starting spot, and being shipped to the Rams for the remainder of the year before last.
He rehabilitated himself somewhat with the then-reigning Super Bowl champions, who had their starter, Matthew Stafford, injured. It led to him getting a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, essentially asking him to prove himself in the league all over again. And even when he won the starting spot, it was an unenviable position to be in because he was succeeding the GOAT, Tom Brady.
Yet, he did so with panache and ensured the Buccaneers finished top of the NFC South last season and made the playoffs. They even defeated the Eagles in the Wild Card round before finally losing to the Lions in the Divisional Round. It was a successful audition that saw Tampa Bay give Baker Mayfield a new three-year contract for him to carry on his work with the Buccaneers.
Appearing on The Mike Calta Show, he opened up about the time he was being shipped around to three teams within the space of just more than a year. Baker Mayfield commented,
“You’re having a lot more fun when you’re not getting shipped off to different places like a piece of dirty laundry, I’ll tell you that. So when I got embraced in Tampa, it made a world of difference. I’ve always played ball to enjoy it. I mean, it is a game. Yes, it is my job, but I love it so much.”
Baker Mayfield backs Buccaneers to overcome Dave Canales' departure
One key man in Baker Mayfield's resurgence was Dave Canales, the offensive coordinator last season with the Buccaneers, who is now the Panthers head coach. The quarterback wished his former coach well but reassured the hosts that the NFC South still runs through Tampa Bay, saying,
"I can't be too pissed about it... I'm happy for the guy... But I'm excited for it and just knowing Bryce, it'll be good for him to have somebody like Dave... (But) let's not get twisted the division still runs through us."
That's the signature confidence Baker Mayfield is known for. Now it's up to him to ensure that the Buccaneers were right in placing their faith in him with a long-term contract.