Baker Mayfield Bristles When Asked About Protecting Himself
June 17th, 2026
Baker Mayfield is who he is.
If you want the good from Baker Mayfield, you’re going to have to tolerate the not-so-good.
Mayfield plays football the way it should be played. With heart. With raw guts. Physical.
If Joe had to pinpoint maybe the best Mayfield-like game he played with the Bucs, it likely would be the win over Mike Evans’ new team, San Francisco last season. Down his top-three receivers, Mayfield willed the Bucs to win with the offense on his back.
But through those wonderful moments, Mayfield takes a pounding. In two of his three seasons with the Bucs, Mayfield limped to the finish line.
Former Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians always liked to say, “Put a quarterback in harm’s way, harm will find him.” And that’s been Mayfield in his Bucs days.
Still, he has answered the bell each week. He may not be physically 100 percent but he’s on the field when kickoff rolls around.
When Mayfield was asked yesterday after underwear football practice if, now in his 30s, he should tone down his devil-may-care approach and maybe dial things back to have a fresher body at the end of the season, and if that subject has been part of his contract negotiations with the Bucs, Mayfield slightly bristled.
“I’ve started every single game last year, for three years,” Mayfield said. “I don’t know if that should be a question.”
He’s right. But Joe doesn’t think that was the question. Sure, Mayfield has started every game. But was he even close to 100 percent in all of them? No.
Remember the Bucs 9-0 win over Carolina on the road to end the 2023 season? It was a win-or-go-home game for the Bucs.
Mayfield couldn’t throw. He physically could not throw and the Bucs ran an old-school 1960s ball-control/keep-away offense by staying on the ground. Mayfield was hurt on a cheap shot the week prior facing — who else? — the slimy Saints.
If the Bucs were playing any other team than the trash Stinking Panthers that day, Joe isn’t sure the Bucs make the playoffs.
Then there was last year. Everybody and his brother with the Bucs has told Joe how beat up Mayfield was, especially late in the season.
It isn’t so much about starting. It’s about producing. It’s very difficult for any player to produce if he’s physically maimed.
But this is Mayfield, love it or leave it.
You’re going to get the good (San Francisco win) and the not-so-good (Miami loss last year). You just hope you get the good Mayfield much more often.
June 17th, 2026 at 7:13 am
Baker will miss games this year – so will Godwin – and who knows who else – 8-9 or worse and we will still have Bowles Licht Baker in 2027 – it’s a Bucs life
June 17th, 2026 at 7:23 am
Experience teaches a dear school and fools will learn no other way. Some will never learn, Baker will never learn and that is why he will NOT be the Bucs QB in 27.
June 17th, 2026 at 7:51 am
I like Baker, but he should stop acting offended that someone would ask about him protecting himself, when it was obvious he had injuries affecting his play last year.
Quit being an ass, and just try sliding more instead of looking for someone to hit. It would be nice to see you stay healthy.
June 17th, 2026 at 7:51 am
We sure have some dumb fans. Both above comments are ridiculous . Frankly the Joe that doesn’t want Baker signed is as well. What happened to availability is the most importantly thing. Now if Baker was too hurt to play that’s on the medical staff and the head coach… if we didn’t have a backup that could fill in that’s on Licht. But I’ll take Baker all day anyway I can get him. The players around Baker need to step up and and have the same guts he does. Some have hangnails and take games off. See recent departed cornerback who both joes couldn’t wait to run out of here until last year.
June 17th, 2026 at 7:57 am
We never had our starting offensive line all of last season. If they play all the games Baker will be much healthier.
June 17th, 2026 at 8:04 am
Jcscy. That’s not true only one of them was most of the year stop with the excuses because that’s not going to work this year.
June 17th, 2026 at 8:09 am
“Still, he has answered the bell each week. He may not be physically 100 percent but he’s on the field when kickoff rolls around.”
During that 2-7 end of season stretch, when did he answer the bell?
“Mayfield plays football the way it should be played. With heart. With raw guts. Physical.”
Does this sound like a QB to you or a RB or LB? This guy is not a leader and is a me first player. Its so obvious. And it doesn’t matter how bad he plays, as long as he tries his best, losing is OK.
June 17th, 2026 at 8:15 am
Why cant I comment anymore? Can you not be honest and voice different opinions on this site?
June 17th, 2026 at 8:27 am
Let him play out the year under his current contract and see where it lands. Running, hit taking, QBs in their 30s aren’t going to survive long.
Franchise in ’27 but no long term deal.
June 17th, 2026 at 8:29 am
This is the same story about baker when he was at Cleveland with stefanski. They wanted him to tone it down, he did not, and that was the start of the riff that eventually led to him leaving.
That’s who baker is, he’s not changing
June 17th, 2026 at 8:29 am
“Still, he has answered the bell each week. He may not be physically 100 percent but he’s on the field when kickoff rolls around.”
During that 2-7 end of season stretch, when did he answer the bell?
“Mayfield plays football the way it should be played. With heart. With raw guts. Physical.”
Does this sound like a QB to you or a RB or LB? This guy is not a leader and is a me first player. Its so obvious. And it doesn’t matter how bad he plays, as long as he tries his best, losing is OK. Smh…
June 17th, 2026 at 8:30 am
“Still, he has answered the bell each week. He may not be physically 100 percent but he’s on the field when kickoff rolls around.”
During that 2-7 end of season stretch, when did he answer the bell?
June 17th, 2026 at 8:31 am
One forgets the first 3 games when the offense line was missing pieces and players were playing out of position! Besides, defenses recognized soft spots (mainly the guards) and took full advantage of the situation). OC attempted to solve that issue by RBs orTEs staying to block hence removing one or more offensive options out of the equation.
June 17th, 2026 at 8:31 am
He doesn’t even want to protect himself to stay healthy and make more money. Gotta love it.
June 17th, 2026 at 8:32 am
To the haters above, I doubt Baker will ever miss a game. Will he be a quarterback into his 40’s? Doubt it, but he will probably be quarterback of the bucs next year
June 17th, 2026 at 8:33 am
I am not questioning Baker’s heart, he wants to win but this year he has to realize that the Bucs have brought what appears to be a competent QB as backup in Jake Browning rather than washed up Teddy Hospital Ball Bilgewater or bust Kyle Trask. The reason for having a decent backup is simple; he probably could play better than a banged up Baker like we saw after the bye last year. While the Bowles’ Swiss cheese D and the bad special teams were the main reason why the Bucs flamed down the stretch last season, Baker contributed to losses as well with ill advised picks which may not have happened if he were healthy or a decent back up was on the field.
June 17th, 2026 at 8:38 am
Wow…no opposing opinions anymore?
June 17th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Oneilbuc Says:
June 17th, 2026 at 8:04 am
Jcscy. That’s not true only one of them was most of the year stop with the excuses because that’s not going to work this year.
+++++++++++=++++
Not what I said.
We did not have our regular offensive line of Wirfs-Bredeson-Barton-Mauch Goedekke togethot all year.
During the 2-7 stretch we had Third string guards in.
That’s ONE of the reasons for substandard play. Not the only one.
What I’m getting at is HOPEFULLY this year it won’t be an issue. I’m sure you want to see all of our starters stay healthy just as the rest of us do.
June 17th, 2026 at 9:03 am
Posted this before, to be successful Baker has to have structure and discipline period! During his tenure in the NFL, he has never had an Andy Reed type as a HC or OC period! With Tampa, Coen was close to the OC, but the powers to be did not want to rock the boat by showing the HC the door. 2026 offers two roads for Baker 1. Bucs go deep into the playoffs or 2. Trying to prove his to level as a QB, Baker is injured and misses rest of season. Either, Bucs have new QB in 2027!
June 17th, 2026 at 9:08 am
His back up was Teddy Bridgewater, for crying out loud. What else could he do?
June 17th, 2026 at 9:36 am
Baker is not a pressure player. He cannot survive in big moments.
And he will prove that again in 2026. Now he doesn’t have his escape hatch in Evans to fall back on.
That’s why he’s kicking and screaming about a new contract.
He knows this is the end of the line. Don’t pay him until he proves it.
We can go .500 with other QBs for a lot less money.
June 17th, 2026 at 9:41 am
Every damn game. What were you watching?
June 17th, 2026 at 10:04 am
LM 50, Baker and the Bucs are both in the gambling mood with a contract extension and only time will tell! For Baker, it will not matter if the Bucs go deep into the playoffs or they tank to tje bottom, he’s gone! For the Bucs, they go deep into the playoffs and Baker goes elsewhere, the haters will not respond but failure and the Bucks are in top five for first round pic, the haters flood this site with words we told everyone, best news ever told everyone it would happen. Time will expose the truth!
June 17th, 2026 at 10:30 am
Baker needs to grow up….
he sure answered the bell vs MIA lol
GO BUCS!!!!
June 17th, 2026 at 11:18 am
That’s because the way Mayfield plays the game requires him to have that pinch of recklessness because it masks some of his natural limitations as an athlete.
Take being short relative to the size of his OL & the defensive front.
The tendency Baker has for drifting in the pocket with undisciplined feet, which shortens his pocket time, throws off his time, and cuts the rush time/distance down for defenders plays into the fact he also bails on the pocket. Sometimes to early, but if it turns into a 9 yard scramble on 2nd & 8 the flawed behavioral aspect of the play take a backseat to the outcome.
It’s compensation for not having the most disciplined feet or a clear line of sight to actually progress through reads. Even in 2024, there were instances where a WR would be wide-ass open like BA used to say, but because Mayfield is making up for his obstructed POV that he’s dropping back further or improvising a roll out a CB that may have been beat in-phase has caught up while the ball was being held and is in position to make obstruct the catchpoint or seperate the man from ball or even worse, come down with the pass.
So yea, taking that away from Mayfield would be akin to cop shows/movies when the protag gets busted by the villains and they take that .22 off the ankle holster. Now you’re up sh**s creek with no paddle, riding on a lincoln log