Baker Mayfield didn't hide how playing for four different teams in three years affected him. Mayfield was with the Cleveland Browns in 2021, the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams in 2022 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023.
Mayfield has found a home in Tampa Bay after a career season with the Buccaneers, who committed to him as their starting quarterback for three seasons. The stability is what Mayfield has craved since his ouster from Cleveland.
"You're having a lot more fun when you're not getting shipped off to different places like a piece of dirty laundry, I'll tell you that," Mayfield said on the Mike Calta Show this week. "So, when I got embraced in Tampa, it made a world of difference.
"I've always played ball to enjoy it. I mean, it is a game. Yes, it is my job, but I love it so much. I've always worn my emotions on my sleeve and, so, let people embrace that, and that's why I'm so excited for having more years to come in Tampa."
Mayfield completed 64.3% of his passes for 4,044 yards with 28 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions and a 94.6 passer rating in his first season with the Buccaneers, leading Tampa Bay to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. His 87.9 passer rating when pressured was third in the NFL, and his 36.6% completion rate in tight windows was second in the league.
The Buccaneers saw enough out of Mayfield to give him a three-year, $100 million deal this offseason with $50 million in guarantees. Still just 29 years old, Mayfield earned his first Pro Bowl nod last year -- and the best may be yet to come.
"I couldn't have been happier with the way it worked out," Mayfield said. "I'm so excited to be heading into another season with these guys, for the most part the same group, and just truly embrace that and build the chemistry even more."
