Graham Barton On Baker Mayfield Injury
November 24th, 2025
Talks Baker Mayfield.
Graham Barton is a stand-up dude. Says what he thinks. But you could tell his spirit was broken a little worse from Sunday’s loss to the Rams than in other losses.
Barton saw his quarterback, the franchise quarterback, go down. Baker Mayfield is tight with his offensive lineman and it was clear Barton was hurt by the situation.
“It sucks,” Graham said after searching for words to discuss Mayfield’s injury and its impact. “He’s the heartbeat of the team. There’s no sugarcoating that.”
Still, Barton said, that doesn’t mean the Bucs had to curl up in a fetal position and start bawling.
“You still have to play the game,” Barton said.”You can’t just lay down and quit. It sucked to watch that happen at the end of the half, but you have to keep playing.”
Naturally, every player Joe spoke to was maybe more shook by Mayfield’s injury than the blowout loss, probably because they know very well what losing Mayfield would mean.
Sure they have confidence in Teddy Bridgewater. But he’s not Mayfield.
Mayfield made two strong runs for first downs in the touchdown drive that ended in a throw to Tez Johnson. Does Bridgewater make those plays? Probably not.
Joe doesn’t think it is over the top to suggest if Mayfield misses a chunk of games, the Bucs aren’t going to the playoffs. This team needs Mayfield to get them over the hump to December when the offensive cavalry may arrive.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:04 am
“You have to keep playing”.
When did they start playing?
November 24th, 2025 at 7:07 am
We can forget about the playoffs. I like Todd Bowles the HC. I don’t like Bowles the DC. It’s apparent his defense is useless against all but absolute green horn qb’s that can be fooled by unexpected blitz packages. If Mayfield were 100% I’d be worried. Bowles defense is the weak point. Not Mayfield’s injury.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:10 am
You can’t quit? The defense already has.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:13 am
I’d start Bazelsk if Baker is out. At least he has a little mobility where as Teddy has none. Yes, I said it…Bazelak.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:14 am
1-8 in prime time, 1-3 playoffs sub.500 coach. Does anything about those numbers indicate a winner? Great, your best buds with BA.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:17 am
Bucs are not going to the playoffs even if Baker misses 0 games. Team has no want to other than a couple of guys.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:21 am
While JL deserves praise for finding gems, tonight exposed the delta, the huge Atlantic Ocean sized difference between the TALENT, speed, and youth of the Rams vs Tampa. It is not close. I have said this loudly forever, people swear up and down how “talented” we are. Are we! Are we talented? Are we coached well. It’s time for everyone from the team to even the fans to look themselves in the mirror. And while I absolutely love Baker – Bryce Young is playing better than him, and I dare anyone to name more than 5 players on that team so they’re better coached. Changes absolutely need to be made, we need to be more FORWARD THINKING. All of you screaming for the team to give Mike Evans all the money in the world after this yr are absolute morons. They are in zero position to give a 33 yr old, 30 mil or whatever who never plays a full season. That is a luxury. They need to get younger, they need better depth across both lines, they need to move away from that BS 3-4, they need a whole new linebacker room and oh btw the Bucs have BY FAR the worst TE room in the league
November 24th, 2025 at 7:29 am
Oh and btw, while Benjamin Morrison has been a disappointment – perhaps some of you should feast your eyes on the veteran with the big contract who the Rams danced on, pantsed, and laughed at all night. Mr. Zyon McCollum. Whoooo boy, the alleged best athlete on the team sure gets cooked, and filet’d constantly. Atleast Morrison has a reasonable excuse. And don’t look now vita vea is 30. The time is now to start planning for the future. Desperately holding on to guys like we have another run in us is delusional. We do not. And we got our answer last night
November 24th, 2025 at 7:33 am
I think that this team has given up for the season. People are dreaming about the playoffs. ME & LC should retire. Godwin is probably done due to the ankle injury. Time catches up with everybody. It is time to go with younger players. The whole coaching staff should go along with the backup quarterback. I think that Trask would have been a better choice, than what we have.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:34 am
The Bucs have gotten worse every week for the past month or more, even while getting healthier. Maybe Baker missing a game can kickstart some soul searching or something.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:34 am
Of the face, You are 100% correct
November 24th, 2025 at 7:35 am
Gofortheface sorry had your name wrong
November 24th, 2025 at 7:40 am
With our slide and the Panthers upcoming schedule, ATL has to feel they are back in the discussion. Somebody is gonna win this division at 8-9. Good times man.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:41 am
Season is over. Start the draft talk and articles. Start figuring out who is staying and who is going cause this team is cooked.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:47 am
Graham Barton.
That guy has been dragged from pillar to post. His head must be spinning at this point. Hey ,remember when the Bucs announced their starting line up for the offensive line to begin the season.
What a hoot that was.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:50 am
“Sure they have confidence in Teddy Bridgewater.”
——
I think you may have assumed too much on that one, Joe.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:53 am
I turned off and went sleep when Baker was sacked on 3rd down after the Otton strip TD .
To make matters worse the Bucs moved from the 19th draft pick to the
20th
Bye bye
Cry cry
November 24th, 2025 at 7:53 am
The disappearance of this team is even worse than Gruden’s last season.
The coaches will get a pass because of the injuries. All that Licht and the owners will talk about was how good they were before the injuries. They will promise to improve the team and that next year will be better.
And the optimistic side of me will probably buy into it.
But deep down, I saw the quitters. I have been saying McCollum sucks since forever. He’s a fraud.
And I’m laying this out there, too. David is done. He is a liability on the field. But that is because he is old.
The other liabilities, Diaby, Dennis, Morrison, Hall, and Jordan, Feeney, and the lousiest TE in team history, Otten, all need to be shown the door.
Problem is there is no way to replace 10-15 players in one year.
The character first approach is not wrong. But they need guys with an attitude. Guys who would not just look sad after last night. Where is Warren Sapp? Where is John Lynch? Where is Angry Red?
These players on this roster are soft. Losers. No pride.
The best for the rest of this season? .500 last six games. 9-8. Limp into playoffs and embarrass us s all further in the first playoff game.
The worst? 1-5. And that is a serious possibility.
Remember the MVP talk? Remember the week they were ranked first in Power Rankings? Remember the hype?
None of it was real.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:54 am
Trask was our good luck charm. While he was backup, our starting QBs never missed a start, even though one was older than dirt, and the other runs around like an over caffinated squirrel. We tossed our good luck charm to the curb and replaced him with a guy who has the arm strength of Molly Shannon. He couldn’t score a single point against a team playing prevent the entire 2nd half. Trask is still on Atlanta’s practice squad. Maybe it’s time to give him a try. He couldn’t be any worse.
November 24th, 2025 at 7:59 am
I am not looking forward to anything but Bowles and his entire staff being run out of here. I didn’t watch the game because I knew what was coming. The last few weeks were bad enough. But the open thread had to set a record of some kind. The team is finished. Bucs will hand the division to Carolina or Maybe even Atlanta.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:01 am
I like Baker, but he’s been making us news because he’s been playing hurt and been wanting to do that macho thing and stay in the game. He hasn’t been performing up to par.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:01 am
What’s sad is we aren’t even the most injured team so we can’t even really claim that. I can’t find anyone who has counted the number of starters who have missed games though so maybe we have missed the most starters.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:01 am
Don’t forget about that stunning performance by Teddy Toothache in the preseason. That performance was (allegedly ) enough for Todd Bowles to make his decision on securing his back up QB for the season. I mean what could go wrong with that thinking? That’s the way all the good coaches do it.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:03 am
Smoke show!!! Men playing against boys!
November 24th, 2025 at 8:09 am
fire Bowles at season end. Jason needs to go also. I would take Gruden before Bowles any day of the week.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:10 am
Barton is pathetic so is Feeney.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:12 am
Tuesday the Bucs need to workout Baile Zappe and Brett Rypian who are on other teams practice squads. elevate Greene as a reciever but have him take reps,as the Scout QB so he can be the emergency third QB. Greene can do special teams,also.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:23 am
hopefully bowles is just as good at picking an DC as he is an OC…
bringing in a 43 DC next year is the only way bowles survives…
GO BUCS!!!!
November 24th, 2025 at 8:25 am
Gruden and Dungy were fired for less.
If Bowles gets a pass blaming injuries, that’s a load. His defense is relatively healthy and it’s a complete dumpster fire.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:27 am
The name Trask comes up. Sheesh – here we go again..
November 24th, 2025 at 8:45 am
F this garbage team and garbage coaches.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:47 am
Jcscycles, the Trask name comes up because we need another QB body since Mayfield is hurt.
Trask knows the offense and is sitting on Falcons practice squad….
Also a lot of us think he may be a better choice than the loopy hospital balls that Bridgewater throws.
At least there’s gonna be some excuses for the lack of offensive performance given what the offense has gone thru with the crazy amount of injuries…
On defense, how do you even justify keeping Bowles now. His scheme is garbage and there are major gaps in it. Also it seems like players on D may have checked on.
What a wasted extension paid for Zyon McCollom. The minute he signed it, his effort and skill just fizzled.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:50 am
ok here i go again trask btter then bridgewater hs ciach
November 24th, 2025 at 8:51 am
I did not know but Bridgeovertroubledwaters cant coach HS football because he was giving players cash and gifts.
November 24th, 2025 at 8:52 am
Agreed on trask but also try out Bailey Zappe and Brett Rypian