Bruce Arians: Baker Mayfield Is The Quarterback The Bucs Needed Then And Now
October 2nd, 2025
Raves about Baker Mayfield.
Roughly a year after the best coach in Bucs history, Bucco Bruce Arians, retired for good, the Bucs signed Tom Brady’s successor.
Tom Brady retired. And as famed JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman said after Brady first retired, Team Glazer was now “peering into the abyss.”
It was Baker Mayfield who saved the day. Mayfield has played his best ball of his career with the Bucs and has guided them this season to a 3-1 record leading game-winning drives in the final minute of each Bucs’ win this year. Unprecedented.
Appearing on “Up and Adams” today with Kay Adams, seen on FanDuel TV, Arians said Mayfield was the perfect quarterback to pick up where Brady left off.
“You know, it’s very hard to follow Tom Brady,” Arians, who is currently a special assistant to the general manager with the Bucs, said. “But when you get a guy like Baker and his personality, it’s totally different.
“And I think that’s what we needed, and we need now. He’s now the face of the franchise. He’s playing lights out.”
Arians has always been an admirer of Mayfield, dating back to Arians’ pre-Bucs days. He said Mayfield’s eff-the-world mentality was just right for the Bucs at just the right time. Mayfield, Arians said, wasn’t going to be rattled by replacing Brady.
Arians raved how Mayfield has galvanized his teammates and the community.
“You know, every time we get the ball with a minute-something left, I say we’re going to win the game,” Arians said. “I love watching Baker play, and I’m a huge fan of his.”
Joe thought it was cool that Arians still referred to the Bucs as “we.” He still feels involved.
October 2nd, 2025 at 4:47 pm
arians is great. what a great coach.
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:02 pm
Joe, I a JodyBucsFan refer to the Bucs as “we” too.! #JUSTSAYIN
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:09 pm
I love Baker, but man that panicky INT on 1st down last game was terrible.
Prob his worst play since he’s been here. Hopefully he just scrambles or throws those away in the future.
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:14 pm
Tipped ball…
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:26 pm
Ball was tipped, or it may have been a TD vs. an interception. As a Browns fan, not only am I pissed about Mayfield, but the Browns passed on hiring Arians twice. He expressed an interest in the job when Butch Davis stepped down and Arians was the OC, then he expressed an interest again when the morons fired Romeo Crennel, instead they hired Mangini.
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:27 pm
Injured bicep contributed
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:53 pm
Let’s beat the Hawks ,,,,,, somehow
October 2nd, 2025 at 5:59 pm
Seems he (Bruce) and I (lowly but enthusiastic fan) feel the same way..
And when I see him around (Bruce), I get this anodyned feeling about the whole team. It’s like having a guardian angel hanging around.
Btw, he IS Still getting paid by “us” And he won His Super Bowl right here in Tampa. So yes. He probably gets the warm fuzzies when he speaks of “His” Bucs..
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:06 pm
Love Coach BA. The stars really aligned with that hire.
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:16 pm
Whoop de Doo
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Call me next week
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:30 pm
Oh, yeah. You guys are right, it was a tipped ball INT.
Ok, he gets a pass on that one then
He’s still my favorite player in the league regardless.
So glad we have him
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Baker’s the QB the Bucs needed then and now? The Bucs are the team Baker needed then and now. Encouraging him to just be himself was what he needed. Last year he hit numbers that only 3 other QBs in the history of this great league have hit. This year in the first 3 games of the season, with a makeshift offensive line, he put together a run that no other QB in the history of this great league has ever done. His first year here, at Green Bay, he did something no other QB in the league has ever accomplished. You have people here who still think he’s a middling QB. We all thought he’d pull that Philly game out, and when he couldn’t he was the same as the previous 3 weeks. He wants a rematch. He’s never gotten the respect he deserves and neither has the Bucs organization. Putting them together hasn’t won us a championship yet. But we’ve sure got more respect than ever and every single team we play knows it’s gonna be a struggle playing us. Seahawks a 3 and a half point favorite? No Evans, Irving, Goedecke or Mauch. That’s some great players. But we all know the effort coming from the team will be relentless- for 4 quarters. That’s how our coach coaches them. That’s how our players play. That’s who our QB is. And that’s the way it is going to be.
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:45 pm
Baker is the man.
Now stop force feeding EE. He’s going to need to build (or rebuild) his confidence/trust in other pass catchers.
October 2nd, 2025 at 6:53 pm
Arians …. Go Away
October 2nd, 2025 at 7:14 pm
Arians always say “we” when there is potential to reflect highly on him. I suspect if all was going poorly, we wouldn’t hear a peep out of BA. PLUS, he’s “a special assistant to the general manager,” so he should be saying “we” good or bad.
BA reminds me of Parcells. Great coaches, love them cuz they speak their minds and can right the ship of talented teams, but after 3 yrs the ego starts to wear thin. And both will bail on you as soon as the talent starts to retire. But at the moment, it’s still “we”
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:03 pm
Yall gonna hate me for this, knowing how much Baker is my man and he will be for the next 3 years, but keep your eyes on Sawyer Jackson….we need one in the wings as a backup and to take over if Baker is down….next draft, 3rd or 4th, just saying.
October 2nd, 2025 at 8:04 pm
sawyer robertson, my bad
October 2nd, 2025 at 10:25 pm
If Todd hasn’t redirected his special bus driver, Bruce will be tasked with the fix. Todd has a defense to coordinate.
October 3rd, 2025 at 1:33 am
1sparkybuc … ‘Injured bicep contributed’.
Yes that INT was a tipped ball, but Baker’s getting beaten up and that’s probably contributed to some of his inaccurate throws. He’s so intent on ‘making something happen’ and on ‘keeping plays alive’ that he’s getting pummeled behind this makeshift OLine that’s been protecting him.
Yesterday’s Bucs injury report had Baker on there for a Biceps AND Right Knee. Did Not Participate in practice Weds, but did yesterday (a walk-through). We’ve got to do a better job protecting him AND his weapons have to do a better job supporting him (getting open & especially catching the ball).