Lavonte David Implies Baker Mayfield Is Targeted By Defensive Players
February 4th, 2026
Baker Mayfield has a lot of friends around the NFL but they’ll be found on the offensive side of the ball.
That was Joe’s takeaway from Lavonte David talking about his franchise quarterback on the Why Is Draymond Green Talking About Football? podcast.
David chatted about how trash talking is disappearing from the NFL, partly due to NFL rules, and quarterbacks don’t really trash talk at all — except Mayfield. “People don’t really talk like that no more,” David said with a longing in his voice.
Mayfield, however, draws the ire of defensive players, per David.
“You know, people be having a vendetta against Baker, I don’t know why. But people just be having a vendetta against him, trying to get in his head or whatever. But, you know, Baker don’t see none of that,” David said.
Joe wonders whether all of his leads Mayfield to, over the course of a season, pay a physical price with extra or harder hits.
David added that Mike Evans was a vicious trask talker as a young player but he’s dialed that way back. Nowadays, David said, Evans is only really a trash-talker in practice, which David said are very spirited at One Buc Palace.
February 4th, 2026 at 10:48 am
Too bad the defense wasn’t the same way to opposing QBs that would be nice for a change instead of it only happening to the bucs.
February 4th, 2026 at 10:49 am
We’re a very polite team thanks to Todd Bowles and Jason Licht.
February 4th, 2026 at 10:59 am
You can see when he starts running that the defense is trying to not just tackle him, but to try and keep him down. Sliding and throwing the ball away may help. Ya. Like he’ll do that. Thats Baker!! He’ll ne back. Hope Robinson can work that and keep him healthy.
February 4th, 2026 at 11:01 am
Evans should come back just to trash talk the Bowles defense in practice.
Just say the same thing day in and day out.
3rd and 28!!!!!
February 4th, 2026 at 11:05 am
Yeah they def are. For two reasons:
1) you take the threat of him moving around away and he’s going to have a hard time making timing throws which will make him significantly less effective, like we witnessed last year.
2) he runs his mouth and makes himself a target.
Brady would certainly chirp when he was getting chirped at. He was no pushover. But you also saw him go out of his way to compliment defenders to get on their good side. I don’t think baker has that type of personality. He’s more of a throwback.
I hope some coach can finally reach him about leaning how to play from the pocket more and getting down. I think he started to turn a corner the first half of the year with avoiding turnovers but then the bottom fell out.
February 4th, 2026 at 11:07 am
would love to see baker mature and become a silent assassin…
GO BUCS!!!
February 4th, 2026 at 11:20 am
Sheer genius.
February 4th, 2026 at 11:22 am
I see the mental problem he spoke of. On display when he talks. Time for him to go before any more damage.
February 4th, 2026 at 11:36 am
First thing that comes to mind,
Is CJ Gardner-Johnson basically playing mind games with Mayfield before that playoff game, and Mayfield proving him kind of right on our very first possession.
If you’re going to talk some trash, you better back it up more often than not.
February 4th, 2026 at 11:54 am
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
February 4th, 2026 at 11:36 am
First thing that comes to mind,
Is CJ Gardner-Johnson basically playing mind games with Mayfield before that playoff game, and Mayfield proving him kind of right on our very first possession.
If you’re going to talk some trash, you better back it up more often than not.
======================================
WarrenBrooksLoser,
Like so many of your remarks, your latest, above, is a non sequitur hidden in a puzzle. Was Oneilbuc one of your high school English teachers?
February 4th, 2026 at 11:58 am
Mike Evans was a vicious trask talker?
Who knew? 🤣
February 4th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
The Know Nothings on this site prove again that they Know Nothing. Mayfield’s passion raises the level of play that coaching staff lacks.
February 4th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
“Like so many of your remarks, your latest, above, is a non sequitur hidden in a puzzle. Was Oneilbuc one of your high school English teachers?”
It’s only foreign to you because I actually talk football.
Also, I know you weren’t a Buc fan back in 2023, but before that playoff game in Detroit, Gardner-Johnson said your boy is surrounded by talent that would look better if they had a better QB.
Your boy, feed into the noise, and threw the first of 2 game changing INTs to the same dude that called him out on the 5th offensive play of the game.
So, maybe mister fire and moxy, should learn to stfu. Sort of like you should learn, to stfu especially when it comes to football that doesn’t involve your dream guy.
Maybe you should learn, trash talk is only good if you can back it up.
February 4th, 2026 at 12:20 pm
Might have some substance to your remarks if Mayfield wasn’t the all-time NFL leader in playoff passer rating. As I recall, Canales had zero answer for the Lions nickle blitz off the edge… not surprising. He was in over his head but Baker got him a head gig anyways.
February 4th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Baker does back it up way more often than not.
February 4th, 2026 at 12:35 pm
LVD. Just please retire!
February 4th, 2026 at 12:36 pm
WBL. The Detroit playoff game. Good game. I was there. On my feet the entire game. Every play. Had to be on my feet because Lions fans were on their feet the entire game. Our defense gave up 200 yards in the 4th quarter. And 2 touchdowns. Let that sink in. And when Mayfield threw his 3rd TD pass our bumbling special teams went for 2 instead of kicking the extra point to make it 31-23 instead of 31-24. So with eighty some yards to go and under 2 minutes down by 8 points Baker lost us another game. No chance that Otten had a role in that pick. Otten doesn’t make mistakes.
February 4th, 2026 at 1:26 pm
Buc U
That’s hilarious.
February 4th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
Of course the other team’s D is going to target him. He lives rent free in the D’s heads and that is a good thing! When the D gets emotional, they make mistakes.