Baker Mayfield: “Stubborn As Hell” And Proud Of It
July 16th, 2023
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.
Joe has enjoyed learning more about Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
He talks a great game and his underdog history makes him an intriguing figure. Mayfield takes great pride in being a college walk-on who rose to become the No. 1 overall pick and the QB that ended a generation of NFL losing in Cleveland.
Mayfield told the God Bless Football podcast last week that he’s fiercely stubborn and that comes with challenges, especially when you insist on playing but are really injured.
Many observers say that led to his sharp downfall in Cleveland after a special 2020 season.
“I look back at the season [of 2021] when I got hurt; I’m just too damn stubborn. You know, I love playing the game,” he said. “And obviously I was going through some injuries starting early in the season in 2021. But everything happens for a reason and I truly believe that. So for me there’s brighter days to come, but I’m thankful for my time there.”
Mayfield played through nearly the entire 2021 campaign with a bad shoulder that required postseason surgery. “If you’re hindering your play, looking back on it, there’s good and bad,” he said.
Mayfield never played for Cleveland again and was traded to Carolina days before 2022 training camp kicked off.
Later in the podcast, Mayfield reiterated he stands by relentless traits that have fueled his career.
“That’s the stubbornness that’s got me to this point,” Mayfield said. “Can’t be an average-sized dude and make it to this point without being stubborn as hell.”
Joe found it noteworthy that Mayfield implied he had lost some confidence after his rocky ending in Cleveland and losing with the dysfunctional Panthers. He says he got it back late last year with the Rams.
“That L.A. stint brought the confidence back,” Mayfield said.
July 16th, 2023 at 10:34 am
Hope your right and it was all due to injury.
July 16th, 2023 at 10:38 am
Hopefully our new OC will design passing plays for one read quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield
July 16th, 2023 at 10:49 am
Oh here we go. Everyone is a critic. “One read quarterback.” You’re the kind of guy who spends Thanksgiving dinner telling everyone how you managed your Fantasy team to the championship.
The guy won the Heisman and led Cleveland to the playoffs. But he is just a “one read quarterback.” So all of those Defenses he shredded are just filled with losers who can’t hack it against a “one read quarterback.”
July 16th, 2023 at 11:06 am
“That L.A. stint brought the confidence back,” Mayfield said.
And rightfully so.
Dude walked into the building on a Tuesday – knowing nothing about the Rams Offense or terminology….
Starts a nationally televised game against a worthy opponent less than 48 hours later on a Thursday night
And almost unbelievably – looks pretty damn good in that circumstance.
Baker looked competent – he looked comfortable running that largely unknown offense – made a # of good throws – Won the game (on a team that didn’t win many games last year).
Not many Quarterbacks who are starting in the NFL could have done what Baker did that night and come out of it looking good….
July 16th, 2023 at 11:14 am
Everyone’s talking about what a great opportunity it is for Baker. Has anyone said its a great opportunity for the Bucs? Its just another year of holding back Kyle Trasks development and a mediocre draft pick. I still feel Trask could either become our starter or if he sucks we get a better draft pick. With the money we gave to a journeyman QB we could have had Orlando Brown Jr at LT and kept Wirfs at RT. Or we could have Devin Cook if we really going to be a running team.
July 16th, 2023 at 11:23 am
Greg – Baker is only guaranteed $4M.
If he makes every incentive (which would be awesome) – he tops out at $8M.
No other QB with Mayfield’s potential could have been signed for less than $10M.
Any other backup QB with even half a chance of starting would have cost as much or more than Baker – and we only had 1 QB on the roster. Bucs HAD to sign another QB…. Baker at the price he signed for was by far the best “option” the Bucs had.
Brown and Cook are both looking for more $ than Mayfield is making this year btw….
July 16th, 2023 at 11:46 am
Loser here, loser there, loser everywhere. With a big mouth.
July 16th, 2023 at 11:59 am
Really tired of hearing about the wunderkind Mr. Baker. I want to see him actually lead a team somewhere besides the below 500 category. He has al of the ingredients around him for success. And it still might not be enough for him. Fail Mr Baker and you, like several others before you, will be dumped in the Bay.
July 16th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
Sounds frustrated that he couldn’t play at his prior level with a shoulder needing surgery.
Casuals know that a shoulder injury requiring surgery has no impact on a QB’s performance.
July 16th, 2023 at 12:05 pm
The BUCS are going to be the surprise team this season. We will win the NFC South and at least round 1 of the playoffs and if the defense is good enough then I could see us getting to the NFC championship game. There is just something I sense very different about this current team and coaches that is transparent, confident, enthusiastic and competent all of which were lacking with the former situation. So, I can for sure easily envision a very successful season much to the shock and or ire of the national pie holes
July 16th, 2023 at 12:07 pm
Simply put look at the career of Rich Gannon if you’re desperate for a little hope.
He didn’t play till year 4 (Kyle Trask?) and after being traded to Washingon he tore his shoulder up so badly he missed his entire first year with KC.
Finally in his 13th season he blew up for Oakland. If something can happen once it can happen twice. And in Mayfield’s case that ONCE was taking perhaps the sorriest franchise in the league to the playoffs..winning in the first round on the road and putting up a great fight against Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Both of the Buc’s QB’s have faced adversity. Trask wasn’t even the “best” QB at his high school. He blossomed finally at Florida. Heisman Trophy winner Mayfield had to literally walk on in college. They’re both determined and I suspect they are LAUGHING at all the people here trashing them. They’ve been through a lot more than marginally informed hostile fans and their “predictions”.
July 16th, 2023 at 12:08 pm
Brown did sign for 8.5 million. There are still free agents out there at QB. We also could have drafted Will Levis. If we already know Baker is not a long term answer why start him over Trask?
July 16th, 2023 at 12:45 pm
How does throwing for 111 yards against Green Bay make a QB confident? 127 vs the LAC? 147 and a pick in OT vs Seattle?
Baker is hamming up the narrative spun by the media which is counting on people not noticing the games he absolutely sucked in because they weren’t nationally televised. If the Green Bay game was nationally televised he wouldn’t be talking like this.
He knows those performances were poor, but CC Baker knows how to work the media I’ll give him that much. He has to know though if he puts up those kind of games in Tampa there will be a full on revolt. We will not accept 16 for 27 & 180 passing (throw in a turnover per game) which was his per game average last year.
Then again maybe Bowles wants those kinds of games – 180 yds passing and 150 yards rushing playing super conservative. Seems like a good way to lose double digit games unless you have a top rated defense. With all these rookies and young players seems a long shot Bucs will have a top 10 defense never mind a top 5. Bucs were terrible v the run last year. I see them being 10-15 range. Good enough to be a playoff team if you have an offense, but not good enough to carry the team to a winning record on their own. We Bucs fans know what a dominant defense looks like. Last year wasn’t it. Bucs need an effective passing offense just like every other team.
July 16th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
HC Grover Says:
July 16th, 2023 at 11:46 am
Loser here, loser there, loser everywhere. With a big mouth.
^^^^^^
Habitual Complainer: Thank you for your post while you’re looking in the mirror, admitting it is your first step towards not being a lifelong loser.
July 16th, 2023 at 1:01 pm
I’m of the frame of mind that having Baker Mayfield as the Bucs QB is a blessing for the here and now. If he succeeds, the QB spot will be locked down for the foreseeable future. If he shats the bed, the Bucs will most likely pick high enough to lock down the QB position for the foreseeable future.
July 16th, 2023 at 1:02 pm
Greg, how do you know that Baker isn’t a long term answer for the Bucs? He’s only 28! The Browns, who I followed for 30+ years, were 1-34 before Baker stepped on the field against the Jets just before halftime in 2018. And over the next 13 games threw for 27 TDs and was runner-up for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Rams wanted to keep him (McVay loved him) but they already had their starter – and a great one. This guy has had a tough couple of years. Just give him the opportunity to prove himself. Go Bucs.
July 16th, 2023 at 1:04 pm
@Mike S. Mike coming in hot with the facts! Baker is getting props based on his performance on nationally televised game against the Raiders! Oh, people also forget that he an average QB the remaining games.
July 16th, 2023 at 1:33 pm
ModHairKen of course one read QBs can win the Heisman – Couch, Ware, Torretta, Wienke, Manzel, etc… The list is quite long actually.
I’ll append what Jack Clark said – Mayfield is not a progressions guy he’s a one read check down to the back guy as his stats indicate – and if you have watched any film and tracked his career at all.
What I see is Captain Checkdown knowing after the 2020-2021 injuries he can’t play with his hair on fire because he will get planted into the turf. Progressively over the seasons he’s become a checkdown charlie because he’s never been a pure pocket passer guy. He’s a brazen jittery feet looking to move around long enough to find something downfield if the primary is covered or tuck and run guy – well at least he used to be. Now he’s a look to the primary and if its not there not look for the checkdown guy.
Baker is in a catch-22. If he becomes a runaround/dancearound guy he’s going to take shots and get hurt. Mahomes is the absolute master of this kind of QB style and the one knock on him is if you put enough hits on him you can knock him out or force him into pure pocker passer mode because of loss of mobility. Mahomes can also thrive as a pocket passer too though – why he’s great – Mayfield cannot. If Baker does not try to be aggressive with his legs then he will stay a checkdown sub 200 yards passer and that will get him benched in a hurry. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Keep in mind Kyle Trask’s strength is Mayfield’s weakness – Trask has superb vision and can stand in the pocket tall with quiet feet – do things like look off receivers and go through progressions. He’s a prototype. The knock on Trask is he tends to get too cute with touch and sometimes cookie throw a duck here and again. Think about what Trask visibly tries to do – what he’s worked on as a pro – understand the vertical levels and use arc and high point to defeat defenders in passing lanes and throw guys open. This is something Mayfield will never be able to do because of physical limitations. Tom Brady was the Master of this and that’s why he’s the greatest QB in football history. If you are paying attention its the thing Trask has worked hard taking advantage of being in Brady’s shadow to take his game to the next level and he put it on display somewhat last preseason. Trask was starting to get it. This is why I’m frustrated with the Bucs. Trask is ready to breakout and they bring a guy in who is basically washed to take his snaps. This is what losing franchises do.
In that Canales interview I got the sense that Dave hinted at this, but this is his first gig and if they say here’s Mayfield make it work he’s going to try to scheme around the limitations – like put Baker on the move in waggles and RPO and stuff like that. So Canales has to scheme two playbooks – one to force Mayfield on the move – and the other to take advantage of Trask’s vertical threat. Not an easy challenge for a rookie OC. He’s got his work cut out for him.
July 16th, 2023 at 1:57 pm
ModHairKen Says:
July 16th, 2023 at 10:49 am
Oh here we go. Everyone is a critic. “One read quarterback.” You’re the kind of guy who spends Thanksgiving dinner telling everyone how you managed your Fantasy team to the championship. The guy won the Heisman and led Cleveland to the playoffs. But he is just a “one read quarterback.” So all of those Defenses he shredded are just filled with losers who can’t hack it against a “one read quarterback.”
^^^^^
Baker Mayfield shredding defenses?! When?? College? lmfao He had ONE good year in 2020 and that was with a great defense, best rushing attack in the NFL, and two all pro receivers. And he still only won ONE playoff game that year 😂😂
July 16th, 2023 at 2:47 pm
Agree with Pickgrin above. Mayfield didn’t take the Bucs job for the money. He took it for the opportunity. The Bucs have a decent to good roster. They just need the right QB to take advantage. Mayfield believes in himself and he believes he can make good things happen here. I’m looking forward to him proving the haters wrong. There was no one else on the market that had his potential that could be had for his contract. Go Bucs
July 16th, 2023 at 3:02 pm
Can’t wait to see the Swashbucklers do the Shake & Bake. LFG!
July 16th, 2023 at 3:49 pm
. Very interesting Mike S. I also would like to see what Trask can do. 123 completions
to RB’s only resulted in 18 points a game. couldn’t decide which offense was more frustrating to watch Jameis throwing Int’s and getting us way behind or the
lack of scoring for nearly 3 quarters with a few exceptions last year. we need to
get our big play receivers to catch balls past the sticks.
July 16th, 2023 at 4:19 pm
Cobraboy … ‘Casuals know that a shoulder injury requiring surgery has no impact on a QB’s performance.’
And casuals also know that a QB who’s so afraid of losing his starting gig that he insists on playing hurt … and hurting his team in the process … isn’t necessarily a team-first kind of QB. And IMO it’s up to the team doctors & the OC & HC to tell him to sit down.
July 16th, 2023 at 4:20 pm
Joe in MICH…TRIGGERED! LOL
July 16th, 2023 at 5:29 pm
Whoever the Browns coach was should have put the backup QB in. The one or two games I watched Baker play in that year it was obvious he had no business trying to play.
July 16th, 2023 at 6:19 pm
Not a Baker fan, but I’m warming up to him. He’s done everything right since we’ve signed him, and that’s all you can ask. He might not be the best QB, but maybe he is for us.
July 16th, 2023 at 6:19 pm
Bob part of it last season was Brady had no credible #3 and the TE position was weak. Also his internal clock telling him I got less than 3 seconds to get the ball out. There’s truth to Brady not wanting to get hit, but because he’s Brady you didn’t see a lot of rushed throws – instead you got checkdowns and a lot of design stuff meant to replace the non-existent running game – mainly screens of varying types – bubble, tunnel, etc… Bucs ran a lot of 3 step clear out type routes trying to create space for the backs. You could tell the Bucs just didn’t have much confidence the line was going to give Brady time to throw.
Its tough to run no-risk-it, no-biscuit vertical passing if the line is a liability. For all Leftwich gets grief on they actually did a superb job of scheming to cover o line woes.
Where it went south for Byron, and Joe has done an excellent job highlighting analysis of, is “SpongeBob” couldn’t put a running attack together. When your team is one dimensional with a short passing game defenses can stop you.
For all people here crow about how Brady was done last year and didn’t have it anymore – Bucs had the #2 passing offense in the league behind KC. Brady wasn’t done – he did that with a bad offensive line that had way too many holds at LT and got beat up the middle a lot. Not to mention two rookie TEs (Brady loves TEs) and a revolving door at WR #3. Brady retired an elite QB.
If they had a league average rushing attack they would have won 11 games and been a dangerous playoff team.
You have to think Brady is a little irritated going out with that last loss and a losing season. In a perfect world he comes back for one more dance – one last go around. Like if Jensen called him and said no worries on the knee I’m 100% good to go and got your back brother – you have to think Brady would be sorely tempted. I’d love to see it – would buy the creamsicle 12 instantly. The warrior coming back to wreck the league one more time. What a story. Alas, no chance that happens unfortunately.
July 16th, 2023 at 6:24 pm
I’m rooting for who ever at quarterback at least it won’t be a old quarterback that after every year he finish you don’t have have to wonder if it’s his last year !! That’s was my push back on Brady but y’all call it hate !!!
July 16th, 2023 at 6:32 pm
Brady threw for 4700 yards with a busted O line and zero running game.
That’s elite. If Brady says he wants to come back you roll out the red carpet.
July 16th, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Mike S. He ain’t coming back move on!!
July 16th, 2023 at 7:33 pm
If he ends up starting for the BUCS I really hope he blows up. I myself see him as a poor man’s jameis. Winston had more raw talent. They both throw a lot to the other team. Maybe they think Baker can be coached to be a little more careful with the ball where Winston couldn’t.
July 16th, 2023 at 11:52 pm
Mike S…loves to type.
July 17th, 2023 at 8:37 am
Always be Leary when someone spends a lot of time trying to sell you a used car or a used qb and they spend hours telling you about the spiffy new paint job or new uniform it has and how much better its appearance is, but says nothing about how well it operates! Nine times out of ten you are being , suckered, conned, sold a lemon, why else would they try to sell you on things that don’t really matter ? Shiney new hubcaps aren’t going to keep worn out tires from going flat on you ! Better to wait and see how it performs on the test drives, when the rubber meets the road, nothing else really matters , else you end up wasting your time and money on a broken down Edsel, Manzel , Winston , …….or Mayfield.
July 17th, 2023 at 9:04 am
There is a fine line between stuborn and stupid.
Trust me when I say I have suffered greatly from my proud stubbornness.
Many times looking back it was sheer egotistical stupidity. LOL
Watch out Baker.
Go Bucs!