Baker Mayfield Fears On The Record
July 6th, 2026
New ranking revealed.
A prominent NFL analyst saw the Buccaneers finish as the 10th-best team in the NFC last season and sees little improvement on the horizon.
Former Pro Bowl defensive back Ryan Clark delivered the bad news during a visit to The Mina Kimes Show, which airs on ESPN.
Kimes guided Clark through an exercise to rank and evaluate teams heading into the 2026 season.
Clark settled on the Bucs being the ninth-best team in the NFC and No. 17 overall, one notch better than the Chiefs.
“When you watch the Bucs, especially late in the season, you get one of those feelings about their quarterback where you’re like, ‘We saw some things from Baker [Mayfield] that make us nervous that we thought were no longer part of his game,'” Clark said.
Remember how Pat Kirwan explained last week that Mayfield is polarizing among media? This was a good example.
Clark went on to talk about how losing Mike Evans will affect the Bucs offense negatively, but Clark added he’s a big Bucky Irving fan. “The physicality in his run game” impresses Clark.
And, no surprise, Clark thinks Todd Bowles will get the Bucs defense back to a better level. Joe sure hopes so after Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht made several investments on defense this offseason.
Last year, the Bucs tied for the 17th-best record in the NFL (Joe put the Panthers head of Tampa Bay), so Clark says it’s status quo (woe?) for the Bucs.
July 6th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
what a kook just the opposite of everything he said
July 6th, 2026 at 1:04 pm
I could care less what all these talking heads think especially one that seems to make Race part of all of his opinions. Let’s get the season started with Baker having a New contract and hopefully with all these new faces on Defense Todd can prove that he just might know what he is doing. I said ‘might’ lol.
July 6th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
Baker wasn’t the only reason the back half of the season sucked. Pay him.
July 6th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
“Clark thinks Todd Bowles will get the Bucs defense back to a better level”
Well that sure is a relief! Why didn’t he say that before? Problem solved!
Just say it out loud and it becomes the honest to goodness truth!!!
There’s a few of the Pom Pom squad that would agree with that logic.
I guess those of us using our eyes and brain are the reason Bowles can’t coach his way out of a paper sack.
Todd is the Sultan of Suck!
July 6th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
Faker Suckfield isn’t worth the money he “earns” now. Much less a raise.
Make him truly earn that big contract. Tell him NFC title game or bust.
If he doesn’t want to play ball, trade him and move on.
He’s terrible when the game matters most.
In the playoffs and prime time as a Bucs QB he’s 2-11.
He’s not worth $20 mil a year in reality.
July 6th, 2026 at 1:34 pm
5-12
3rd in NFCS
That’s a good thing! A New HC with tons of cap, great picks, and a roster loaded with emerging talent. A total reload.
July 6th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
lol…yes, the turnovers and choking in key moments are still apart of his game lol…
Baker has to wait on his payday
GO BUCS!!!!
July 6th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
Yeah, losing Mike definitely hurts in every way possible Except the “money” part of the story.
BIG LOSS and a not as special gain.
Then again, all the extra money DOES lend to the strengthening of our defense. We already have guy on the defense that are clearly WAY OVER PAID and NO LONGER DESERVING!
Not sure where co tracts lie, but if guys, say like Winfield DON’T SHOW US THE VALUE, then I say BOOT HIS ASS ON DOWN THE LINE! We can SURELY get more BANG FOR OUR “BUC” than that FLASH AND IN THE PAN HAS STOLEN SINCE!
And do I need to even mention McCullom? (sp) What a crap show to pay these men and they GET BORED!
This “STANDARD” is ALL DUE TO ONE COACH! A GUY WHOM DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO “LEAD” MEN! I GUARANTEE YOU THAT WITH THE “CORRECT MAN” as the HEAD COACH,….. NOBODY! AND I MEAN NOBODY WOULD BE “BORED”!!!!!!
Now it’s coming down to poor decision making ownership from …. well I WAS going to say “this year on”. But that’s NOT THE TRUTH! It’s come down to Lousy Ownership for sometime prior.
It was CLEAR that they asked Coen to take over for bozo but they DIDN’T GUARANTEE IT! And so Coen did what ANY SMART PERSON WOULD DO!
And Bozo CERTAINLY won’t help them find his replacement! He already DID THAT! And he’s WELL AWARE just how close it was for him to be LONG FORGOTTEN y being replaced with the future….
And Now? The Buccaneers? Well, we’re relegated to the Den of the Depressed!
Well, THAT’S “IF” YOU’RE INTO WINNING SUPER BOWLS, HOISTING THE LOMBARDI, AND WEARING “THE BIGGEST AND THE BEST” RINGS! YOU KNOW, HAVING A “DYNASTY”
Bowles CERTAINLY MADE SURE that, THAT WASN’T GOING TO HAPPEN!
July 6th, 2026 at 1:39 pm
So this guy ranks the Bucs with Baker and the Chiefs with Mahomes within 1 spot of each other. Sure, whatever he believes. Can’t wait for training camp to start.
July 6th, 2026 at 1:43 pm
I don’t think ME13 is a loss. The guy was a problem because he couldn’t stay on the field and when he came back he still had hamstring injuries slowing him down. If anything the WRs will step up to the challenge. Baker will be fine as long as he has a healthy O line.
This issue for me is the defense and special teams. Many questions that start with the secondary.
July 6th, 2026 at 1:50 pm
Clark is gonna select black qb’s, that’s where he’s invariably fixated at
July 6th, 2026 at 2:06 pm
Ryan Clark sees everything through race. I have no time for losers like him. He certainly doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
July 6th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
Mina said we’re interchangeable with the Saints @20, who she feels can be our biggest threat to re-capturing the NFCS title. We’ll see how the season plays out, but I think we should be in better shape to come out on the winning side of those 1-score affairs.
This isn’t a team that’s going to run away from anybody on the scoreboard.
July 6th, 2026 at 2:09 pm
Obvious. I think something’s wrong with your keyboard on your phone because you keep typing capital words for no good reason.
July 6th, 2026 at 2:15 pm
@ Bojim Says: “Baker wasn’t the only reason the back half of the season sucked. Pay him.”
Ummmm, you do know THEY ARE “paying him.” He is still under contract, RIGHT!? Also, there is a current offer ‘on the table’ to EXTEND HIM NOW, right!? So, I don’t see the issue!? WHY continue repeating this over and over, & again and again… Especially, when the BUCS have already ‘committed’ to RE-SIGNING HIM (after a 2-7 finish and HORRENDOUS play). I mean, WHAT am I missing here!? Are YOU not aware of his current contract AND the current offer on the table… That, HE has REFUSED TO SIGN!? Were YOU one of those who continued lecturing ALL of US about “Baker” just loving the game AND Tampa Bay soooo much, that HE would take a “DISCOUNT.” Because, all HE WANTS to do is JUST play ball Lmao. Hmmmm… So, why are YOU NOT telling “Baker” to just SIGN THE DAMN DEAL, THEN!? You all keep screaming for the BUCS to pay him now, EVEN when THEY ARE “paying him now.” It makes no sense. WHERE is this “DISCOUNT!?” I said all along, that there would be NO DISCOUNT. It’s NOT reality, and that you all know absolutely NOTHING ABOUT Baker, HIMSELF. It’s ALL complete FANTASY. But you could at the very LEAST, tell HIM to sign the deal. You would be IF you were a TRUE Bucs-Fan (and in-love with Baker).
July 6th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
lol…really?…race?…lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
July 6th, 2026 at 2:52 pm
When you watch the Bucs, especially late in the season, you get one of those feelings about their quarterback where you’re like, ‘We saw some things from Baker [Mayfield] that make us nervous that we thought were no longer part of his game,’” Clark said.
Word salad.
July 6th, 2026 at 2:54 pm
He thinks Todd Bowles will get the Bucs defense up to speed and that he likes Bucky Irving’s physicality! I always liked Ryan Clark but I think he’s gone off the deep end.
July 6th, 2026 at 2:56 pm
I mean there is more reason to have reservations about Bowles and Irving than Baker.
July 6th, 2026 at 2:57 pm
“ Clark thinks Todd Bowles will get the Bucs defense back to a better level. “
LOL. It would be hard to get worse than 32nd. So that seems like a fair take.
But or genis is up to the challenge.
Todd says, “Hold my beer.”
July 6th, 2026 at 3:08 pm
It’s a joke that Clark is even still employed by ESPN. He has done nothing but make a complete FOOL of himself, and the network. He is just a MISERABLE human. He is an angry narcissist, who thinks HE is entitled. He is tremendously uniformed on almost EVERY major issue, and is an absolute total embarrassment. He has SUCH a false sense of self-importance. When, in reality, is just one HUGE a-hole. Just think HOW MANY ‘apologies’ (retractions, and etc.) that he has been forced to make (on-air and off). And, HE is NOT a big ‘ratings’ driver for the network, either. He has been a DISASTER. I would even take it a step further, and say that HE is a huge drag on the ratings. He has cost them MORE BS than what he is worth… Though, he still remains to be hired, somehow!? I have absolutely NO CLUE as to WHY Stephen A. STILL continuously stands behind HIM and takes up for him. Especially, when SAS is the type who’s always looking out for HIMSELF, FIRST. I refuse to even watch the show (or ANY of ESPN’s) anymore. And, I KNOW that I am NOT alone. I went STRICTLY to Wake Up Barstool, Colin, & Paul Finebaum. That’s IT.