CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The coincidence wasn’t lost on Baker Mayfield.
Standing in the same room at Bank of America Stadium where he was informed late last season by the Carolina Panthers he was being released, Mayfield spoke to reporters about winning an NFC South championship with his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Personal redemption? Check.
“There's a lot of things that bring me back to here,” Mayfield said. “But that is what happens when you go to a team within the division, and you have memories of playing with them.”
Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals, Tampa Bay's defense forced two turnovers, and the Buccaneers defeated the Panthers on Sunday 9-0 to win their third straight NFC South title and reach the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
For Mayfield, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 was satisfying and not only because it came against the Panthers, where he was 1-5 as a starter last season before being waived on Dec. 5.
Mayfield has struggled to find career stability, playing for his fourth team in three seasons. He was traded by Cleveland, released by Carolina, and not re-signed by the Los Angeles Rams in a two-year span. He bounced back this season, going 9-8 as a starter for the Buccaneers, completing 64.4% of his passes for 3,907 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
He beat the Panthers twice.
“I've been through a lot,” Mayfield said. "But I have had a lot of help along the way."
The biggest question moving forward might be how effective Mayfield will be when the Buccaneers host the Philadelphia Eagles in a wild-card game next weekend. Mayfield came into Sunday's game with sore ribs and suffered an ankle injury against the Panthers, although he remained in the game.
The 2018 No. 1 overall pick walked with a slight limp as he entered the interview room.
He said he's looking forward to healing up.
“I’ll see how he feels and how he goes through his treatment, and we’ll make a decision based on how the week goes,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said.
Kyle Trask is Tampa Bay's backup quarterback, and John Wolford is the third string.
The 28-year-old Mayfield wasn't particularly happy with his own play, finishing 20 of 32 passing for 137 yards with no touchdowns.
He just missed on a long connection with Mike Evans in the first quarter.
“I got to be better,” Mayfield said. “They ran a lot of two-shell defense, and there was some stuff that was open underneath, and I have to be better in that facet.”
“He was banged up,” Bowles said of Mayfield’s performance. “But the times he had to throw, they had great coverage. You’ve got to credit their defense too. They played very good defense. We were off and weren’t clicking on all cylinders.”
But Mayfield likes Tampa Bay's chances heading into the playoffs, where it could be a home underdog despite winning five of its final six games.
Like Mayfield, the Bucs have been counted out repeatedly, particularly after losing six of seven games during one stretch.
“We have a locker room full of guys that are comfortable being counted out,” Mayfield said. “All we wanted was a chance to get in, and now we are here, and we have to handle it the right way.”
