TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield's journey from forgotten free agent to two wins away from the Super Bowl is one that usually only Hollywood could write.
Just six seasons ago, Mayfield was the toast of the National Football League. He was the number one overall pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft and signed a 4-year, $32.6 million contract to start his career.
The Browns struggled in Mayfield's first two seasons, posting a 12-17 record. The former Oklahoma Sooner threw for more than 7,500 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions during those seasons.
In his third season, things clicked for Mayfield and the Browns. He led the team to an 11-5 record in the regular season while throwing for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He also led the Browns to their first playoff win since 1994.
Mayfield posted a 6-8 record with the Browns in 2021, throwing for more than 3,000 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. It turned out to be his final season with the team that drafted him.
Before the 2022 season, the Browns traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers just four seasons after taking him number one overall.
Baker played in 7 games, starting 6, with the Panthers. His numbers were pedestrian, throwing for 1,313 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. The Panthers posted a 1-5 record with Mayfield and decided to waive him on December 5, 2022.
Not 24 hours later, the Los Angeles Rams picked up Mayfield to have him start the last few games of the season. It was here where Mayfield said Coach Sean McVay told him to just be himself and play quarterback.
Mayfield started to unlock some of the magic he displayed in college and with the Browns. While the Rams finished 1-3 with Mayfield starting, that was as much about the overall team as Mayfield's play which was solid down the stretch.
As the season ended, the Rams chose not to re-sign Mayfield as they expected Matthew Stafford back from injury for this season. That left Mayfield without a team, but hopeful he would be able to continue his young career.
At the same time Mayfield was looking for work, the Bucs were entering the post-Tom Brady-era with no real options at the quarterback position. The Bucs had Kyle Trask on the roster, but he hadn't shown enough to warrant a starting job.
In mid-March 2023, the Bucs decided to take a flyer on Mayfield and signed him to a 1-year, $4 million contract to be the team's starting quarterback.
For the Bucs, it was a low-risk, possibly high-reward move. Mayfield's contract worked with a roster that was going through cap recovery after entering the 2023 offseason more than $80 million over the salary cap.
If Mayfield worked out, the team would have a good season and a shot at the playoffs. If Mayfield didn't work, the team could use 2023 as an evaluation season as they focused on 2024.
As all Bucs fans now know, Mayfield has been a revelation for the team. He's played with swagger, displayed toughness, and is one of the most popular players on the team after leading the Bucs to a Wild Card win over the Eagles Monday night.
Along the way, Mayfield had a career year, throwing for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, completed 64.3% of his passes, and led two fourth-quarter comebacks during the regular season.
His breakout season has him poised to sign a big contract with a team ahead of the 2024 season.
But before that, Mayfield has a date with the Detroit Lions in an NFC Divisional Round game on Sunday. If he can replicate his stellar performance that he posted against the Eagles (22-36, 337 yards, 3 TDs, 0 interceptions), the Bucs have a great chance of getting to the NFC Championship Game.
No matter what happens, Mayfield has re-established himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL and has a team some thought would be rebuilding in 2023 on the cusp of greatness.
