Stephen A. Smith Jumps On The Baker Mayfield Bandwagon
July 31st, 2025
Spreads love for Bucs QB.
Regular readers of Joe and listeners of the “Ira Kaufman Podcast” know Joe sees a shift in national perspective about the Bucs.
Whereas seemingly just weeks ago the talking heads in front of the cameras and the worker bees behind the scenes treated the Bucs as somehow second-class, overblown or unworthy of being included with the networks-approved hyped teams, the tides are turning.
None other than BSPN lead talking head screamin’ Stephen A. Smith has even joined the Bucs bandwagon.
Recently on his hollering show “Last Take,” SAS said he didn’t want to hear about how Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFC. Rather, SAS said, Mayfield is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and it’s high time folks put respect on Mayfield’s name.
“There’s no debating this,” SAS said of Mayfield being a top-shelf quarterback. “Look at what he’s done with his career on the field of play.
“He ain’t just the top five quarterback in the NFC, he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the National Football League. He deserves all of our respect, because of what he has done to elevate himself, and turn his life around he is somebody that should be more celebrated now than ever before.”
Joe really has no idea what SAS is speaking of when suggesting Mayfield turned his life around. He’s always been a standup guy.
SAS went on to cite a few stats suggesting only Josh Allen and Saint Lamar Jackson are better. As a result, SAS noted, it’s proof Mayfield is one of the best.
Joe isn’t sure it’s good luck or not when SAS boards the Bucs’ hype train, but at least folks inside the walls of One Buc Palace won’t have to grumble any longer that the success of the Bucs this decade is being overlooked.
July 31st, 2025 at 6:02 am
I really didn’t care for Baker Mayfield at first but he sure did change my mind. He is definitely a top 5 quarterback in this league and I believe he is the MVP this season. He has continued to improve every year he’s been here. I’m a believer
July 31st, 2025 at 6:16 am
Well if you dive into all things Mayfield you will come across some videos of him talking about turning to Christ when he hit rick bottom. Everyone knows he was a big partier and drank a lot. He and his wife both turned to God when their lives were upside down and now this is the result. You are witnessing Gods work in Baker Mayfield. I know you atheists will laugh and that’s ok but these are FACTS!
July 31st, 2025 at 6:36 am
Uh-oh, it’s happening. They said “Top-shelf” in reference to Baker😲
July 31st, 2025 at 7:00 am
“Joe isn’t sure it’s good luck or not when SAS boards the Bucs hype train but at least folks inside the walls of One Buc Palace won’t have to grumble any longer that the success of the Bucs this decade is being overlooked.”
I share this sentiment, it’s like when Skip Bayless had that god awful half patriots, half bucs Brady jersey. Don’t jinx us SAS, talk about The Browns or something.
July 31st, 2025 at 7:01 am
He hasn’t done anything yet. But things do change. He has found a team that likes to play football like he does. Now they all have an axe to grind. Give Baker 5 or 6 more years in Tampa and this team will be remembered for how great a team they were, not some team that won because Brady came in with a few other mercenaries. Evans and LaVonte and Baker all deserved better. And sometimes we get what we deserve in life. And no better time than now- 50th anniversary-to see these guys do what few other teams have done. This is a heck of a football team built the right way. Take a blind man not to see that.
July 31st, 2025 at 7:02 am
Time to dig up Shady McCoy ranting about how and why Baker sucks. Especially with Baker struggling early in TC, with no one to coach him up hard.
July 31st, 2025 at 7:14 am
I remember when Baker came here and RodMunch (or whatever his name was) would comment daily how bad Mayfield sucked. I’m pretty sure it was actually Kyle Trask’s account cause the dude loved Kyle Trask.
July 31st, 2025 at 8:02 am
Baker Mayfield hasn’t done anything until he gets to a conference championship game. Beating a trash division ain’t that great and I’m talking about both sides of the ball. Baker Mayfield ain’t no top 5 quarterback at all he has great weapons around him and that’s cool with me . But please stop with top 5 quarterback stuff. Mahomes , Larmar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Borrow, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, CJ Stroud, Jerry Golf and Jordan Love are better quarterbacks then Baker Mayfield. Every GM including ours will choose those quarterbacks over Baker Mayfield maybe Baker over Golf but that’s about it.
July 31st, 2025 at 8:11 am
Oneilbuc, pudding head, moron. I’d like to impress upon you that if you’re going to drive home a point by listing other Quarterbacks, be sure to know that actual names of said quarterbacks and know how to spell them. Its scary that people like you vote
July 31st, 2025 at 8:18 am
Well said BucNut.
July 31st, 2025 at 8:20 am
I still say Patrick Mahomes is the Top Dawg, by a country nile
And the rest of them are fighting for runner-up
They may have better stats than Mahomes
But when the money is on the line, Mahomes delivers
Baker is a Top 5 in stats, so is Burrow, Allen, Jackson, Herbert
But Mahomes is all alone in playoff wins, Super Bowl wins
July 31st, 2025 at 8:28 am
BucNut, we are witnessing Baker’s work on Baker. If he needed something to prod him in that direction, good for him. Personal responsibility. I’m quite sure he would say in his case religion was what he needed to do what he’s done. And that’s fine. But let’s give him a bit of credit.
July 31st, 2025 at 8:30 am
First last, Munch is now guarded in his Baker praise. Which is to say he gives it when he must. But you’re right, he is still distrustful and is far more vocal when he has a bad game. And anyone who says anything positive is accused of being a bakerboi, whatever that is.
July 31st, 2025 at 8:38 am
That Jerry Golf is an amazing QB. Almost as good as Joe Borrow.
LOL, autocorrect is a pain, pretty sure Oneilbuc knows how to spell those dudes’ names.
July 31st, 2025 at 9:10 am
this really gets my peter excited this AM
July 31st, 2025 at 9:52 am
To be honest I’ve never been absorbed by “rankings”…er..”Opinions”. Sometimes an overwhelming statistic, like SEVEN SUPER BOWLS clearly defines the GOAT…but who is second? I don’t care!
Here is the metric I use to judge a Bucs QB. Does he have enough talent, heart, and leadership to take a very good to excellent team to the Super Bowl?
Brad Johnson answered my question with a resounding YES!
IMO Baker has the requisite skills. Some of them in spades! Leadership and heart are off the charts and the talent is not bad, certainly good enough. But until he gets to the SB… O’Neill and the boys will woof it up! I get that. I’m hoping Baker succeeds for all the obvious reasons and the fact I find him a likeable human being and great teammate off the field. I’m not certain O’Neill shares my hope given the TENOR of his posts.
Now have the Bucs assembled a TEAM strong enough to get to the SB?
July 31st, 2025 at 10:08 am
“Pretty sure” oneilbucs knows how to spell those names. Fart noise. Listen awua – when you say things like “winning a trash division ain’t great” and conveniently overlooking the consistency and measurable data, he doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. He is a grade A moron
July 31st, 2025 at 10:10 am
The Bakerboi stuff originated sometime after his rookie year in CLE. I’ve been a fan of his due to my allegiance to the Oklahoma Sooners and I saw that he had a different kind of arm when he had a run at Tech. There was a nasty contingent in the Cleveland social media sphere that always had a disdain for Baker for one reason or another.. a lot of it was his progressive commercial package that aired a lot and the team underperformed like Cleveland does. They started wanting him out bad and then there would be over zealous Baker fans that would match their over the top comments with Baker truther like vigor. I’m guessing RodMunch is one of the trolls left over from that era that continues to troll when they get the air of convenience to do so.
July 31st, 2025 at 10:25 am
@A real Joe
That is an excellent and IMO very accurate take.
July 31st, 2025 at 10:54 am
Don’t care what an “expert” like Stevie Smith has to say about anything. All these guys do is ratify after the fact. When Bucs get to the SB sometime in the next couple of years, the fake sports guys will be telling us they knew it all along. Here are the facts, Mayfield is highly accurate, has one of the strongest arms in the NFL, has great leadership qualities, and started his career with the second worst NFL franchise. He in short order had the Browns playing playoff football after 1-31 in the two years prior to his arrival. There are a few idiots on these pages who were negative about Mayfield from the beginning. These same idiots seek vindication for their dumbness by pointing to the Detroit INT and the Washington fumble. Real football analysts know that fumble was on the rookie McMillan who overran the handoff. The Detroit INT was the result of Cade Otton getting to close to CG 14 when he should have been underneath the zone coverage. Mayfield took the heat because that is what real leaders do.
July 31st, 2025 at 10:58 am
baker is a guy you would want to go to war with and then drink a beer with blocking 30 yards downfield for a running back running like a fb for a first down stiff arming bosa while throwing a pass the game at ok beating mahomes
this guy is maybe more entertaning than favre super competitive no wonder the locker room likes him
July 31st, 2025 at 11:05 am
prolly means he got ripped off by his dad and it hurt his game, but u never know with SAS
July 31st, 2025 at 11:16 am
Not yet. … good yes. Great yes. Elite top 5 not yet. His play is high. Life changed. Yes. This year he can make the jump to elite top 5. Why? Consistency.
July 31st, 2025 at 11:23 am
Mayfield “hasn’t done anything, yet”. This is true as far as significant post season outcomes. He has elevated our franchise, though. He is the major piece that was missing in our retool/rebuild efforts. That’s something!
Now we can enjoy our 50th season with a great deal of hope and expectation. What more could we ask for at this time? I am confident as well as stoked.
Go Bucs!
July 31st, 2025 at 12:23 pm
Golf? Who’s Golf?
July 31st, 2025 at 3:27 pm
If you notice, for 2 years now Mahomes hasn’t had a good year stat wise. His team, talent wise, is slowly bleeding out, due to years of not getting the premier talent in the draft. It is really going to show up over the next 3-5 years. Now Mahomes is having to deal with talent like most quarterbacks have always had to deal with in their career. He is good but most of his success has been due to all the great talent around him. His line isn’t in the top 5 like it has invariably been his whole career and that makes a huge difference. We shall see this year how it all plays out. I feel certain, comparing him to the real GOAT is going to be regrettable. This year he has to play with a severely diminished OL. He should be at the top of his game but he won’t play like it due to his OL. Baker will play much better this year. If we meet them we will dog them. When we are playing well with few mistakes we will be unbeatable. KC is on the decline, the Bucs are on the rise!!!
July 31st, 2025 at 3:35 pm
Let’s not act like Baker didn’t beat KC in postseason 2021. He did and everybody who’s anybody knows Baker beat them and did it with a team that 3 years previous was 0-16. So Bakie HAS DONE THINGS. And that was a BIG thing, OK. KC went to the superbowl after Baker BEAT them. Baker IS a baller and he is fixing to ball out this year and so are the Bucs.
July 31st, 2025 at 4:22 pm
Amen Gipper!
August 1st, 2025 at 12:36 am
Read an article on ranking NFL general managers:
1. Chiefs,
2. Eagles
3. Rams
4. Buccaneers
We are so lucky to have Jason Licht. He is building a great team that will win another superbowl for us. Cannot wait for 2025. Thank you Jason!!
Go Bucs!!!