While Baker Mayfield looks the part of a franchise quarterback today with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it wasn’t long ago that he was viewed as a journeyman QB who was running out of opportunities to prove himself in the league.
After all, at one point, Mayfield was on four different teams in an eight-month span. Let’s revisit Mayfield’s NFL career and how he got to this point.
Cleveland Browns
Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns shocked the NFL world when they selected him with the first overall pick, as ESPN recently revisited in this retrospective of the 2018 draft class.
.@AdamSchefter is so good, sometimes his own dad doesn't believe him 🤣 pic.twitter.com/4VwzBaJ2yo
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 29, 2024
Mayfield was coming off a terrific college football season with the Oklahoma Sooners, during which he won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award, and AP College Football Player of the Year.
He entered Cleveland with lofty expectations, as the Browns had been searching for a franchise quarterback for decades.
Mayfield’s NFL career got off to a strong start, as he finished his rookie year with 3,725 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns (breaking the NFL record for most touchdowns thrown by a rookie), and just 14 interceptions in 14 games.
As a sophomore, his numbers dipped a bit to 3,827 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions in 16 games.
In 2020, Mayfield won over the Dawg Pound by leading the Browns to an 11-5 record and the team’s first playoff appearance since 2002. On top of that, he had a terrific three-touchdown performance during the Wild Card round, helping the Browns defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers for their first postseason victory since 1994 (the year before Mayfield was born).
Mayfield finished his third NFL season with 4,030 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and nine interceptions through 18 total games. As a result, his peers voted him as the 71st best player in the league in the NFL Top 100.
However, 2021 would end up being Mayfield’s final season with the Browns. While playing through a partially torn labrum that eventually required surgery, Mayfield’s production fell off. The Browns missed the playoffs, and he finished the season with 3,010 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 14 games.
Cleveland decided to move on from Mayfield, and the organization took a parting shot by leaking to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen that they were making a change because they wanted “an adult” under center. The Browns ultimately traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers on July 22, 2022, replacing him with Deshaun Watson.
Carolina Panthers
Mayfield’s stint with the Panthers was the strangest of any of his four NFL stops. He only appeared in seven games for Carolina, throwing for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions before he was benched for Sam Darnold.
After the Panthers benched Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall pick was relegated to the scout team, filling in as a defensive tackle. To Baker’s credit, he was a consummate pro and did so without any complaints.
Impressed with @bakermayfield. Doing whatever is asked and then some. @Panthers @CSLonQCN pic.twitter.com/AY8k9YjOAo
— Mike Lacett (@mikelacett) November 2, 2022
Recently, after the Panthers benched fellow No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, Mayfield reflected on his time in Carolina and offered some words of encouragement to Young.
“Obviously, mine didn’t happen in the same timeframe as Bryce, but quarterback is hard, especially for young guys when you’re not surrounded with the pieces, and you’re not given the opportunity to have success,” Mayfield said.
“A lot of the time, guys have the talent, they might have the brains, but they don’t have the right opportunity, the right fit.
“I mean, I’m sitting here right now in a way better fit than the other places I’ve been. That’s not to put other teams down, but it’s a matter of the pieces around you, the coaches. For Bryce, I could relate to this; it’s [about] finding that belief within yourself again. He’ll get it. His story is far, far from finished.”
It’s noteworthy that the Panthers moved on from Mayfield and Darnold, and both are now thriving after their changes of scenery. Carolina ended up cutting Mayfield, and he was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams for the final five games of the 2022 season.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams claimed Mayfield off of waivers on Dec. 6, 2022. Two days later, he was tasked with starting in place of an injured Matthew Stafford despite barely knowing Los Angeles’ offense or even his teammates’ names.
This “Thursday Night Football” game against the Las Vegas Raiders is what ultimately saved Mayfield’s career.
Two days after joining the team, Mayfield put together a phenomenal performance, throwing for 230 yards and the game-winning touchdown. He looked like vintage Baker, leading the Rams to a 17-16 victory.
As if the outing wasn’t already impressive enough, Mayfield was throwing to Los Angeles’ backups like Ben Skowronek, Tutu Atwell, and Van Jefferson since Cooper Kupp suffered a high ankle sprain that ended his season a few weeks earlier.
Down six with 1:41 to go backed up your own two-yard line? @bakermayfield was feeling dangerous. 😤 pic.twitter.com/gDuUL1QsZH
— NFL (@NFL) December 9, 2022
The Rams’ coaches credited Mayfield with uplifting the team amid all of the injuries and rejuvenating everyone behind the scenes. He ensured that everyone continued to compete and give their all.
Mayfield made the most of his opportunity with the Rams, which is why his next team decided to give him a shot when he hit free agency after the season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On March 15, 2023, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Mayfield on a one-year, prove-it deal for the league minimum. Bucs general manager Jason Licht has said that they didn’t have to recruit Mayfield, as the quarterback essentially pursued them.
Mayfield knew that he needed to play well on his one-year deal in order to get a lucrative payday the following offseason, and Tampa Bay was attractive due to its weapons (including Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Rachaad White) and pass-first offense.
While some quarterbacks might have been worried about trying to fill Tom Brady’s shoes right after he retired, Mayfield never worried about replacing the GOAT. Instead, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles told him to be himself and everything would work out.
Entering training camp, Mayfield and Kyle Trask competed for the starting job. After shining in camp and the preseason, Mayfield ultimately won the position battle and never looked back.
Last season, Tampa Bay was projected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL and compete for the No. 1 overall pick. Instead, the Bucs exceeded all expectations in their first year of the post-Brady era. They won the NFC South for a third straight season and even managed to win a playoff game, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round and challenging the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.
Mayfield’s terrific play was a big reason for the Buccaneers’ success. He had a career year, throwing for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
His strong play earned him a three-year, $100 million contract this past offseason, giving him the home and stability he had been seeking.
.@bakermayfield earned his pay day in Tampa Bay. 🔥
The Top 10 Plays from his 2023 season. pic.twitter.com/2ummEUXAZi
— NFL (@NFL) March 12, 2024
This season, Mayfield has picked up right where he left off. He reunited with Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who was the Rams’ offensive coordinator during Mayfield’s five-game stint with the team.
In the first month of the 2024 season, Mayfield has already thrown for 984 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions while rushing for two scores as well. Additionally, his 70.5% completion percentage is a career high.
Mayfield’s NFL journey hasn’t gone as planned, but it ended up working out in the long run. He has matured and become a father, and he isn’t taking his opportunity with the Bucs for granted, given the ups and downs he’s experienced since entering the league.
It took some time, but the 29-year-old is finally realizing his full potential as a franchise QB.