Baker Mayfield hasn’t lost the edge that made him Baker Mayfield. He’s just learned the hard way when not to let it rip.
On Sept. 2, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and talked about how nine NFL seasons have reshaped the way he carries himself. “I still wear my heart on my sleeve, but there’s definitely a lot more thinking before speaking or taking some actions,” Mayfield said. He also described some of his earlier decisions as “dumb mistakes” that can’t be erased, only used as lessons for the younger players around him.
NFL on ESPN highlighted the same theme in a clip posted that day:
“Still wear my heart on my sleeve, but there’s definitely a lot more thinking before speaking or some actions.”
-Baker Mayfield on how he’s changed as a player on the @RichEisenShow 🏈 pic.twitter.com/OzPZICESMc
- NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 2, 2026
That reflection lands at an interesting moment for Mayfield and Tampa Bay. He’s 31 now, in his third season with the Buccaneers after the winding path that followed his exit from Cleveland and stops in Carolina and Los Angeles. The move to Tampa Bay gave him stability, and the first two years brought plenty of it: back-to-back NFC South titles, a playoff win, and Pro Bowl selections in 2023 and 2024, according to his career record.
Last season, though, the shine came off. The Buccaneers dropped to 8-9 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2019, according to StatMuse and season recaps.
CBS Sports and PFF provided the 2025 numbers referenced in the reporting, and Mayfield has owned the downturn. On Eisen’s show, he pointed to the late-season slide and said the locker room still believes this group can go the distance if it stays even-keeled.
The timing matters because this is a contract year. Mayfield is playing out the final season of the three-year, $100 million deal he signed in 2024.
Extension talks wrapped up in late July. He had already set a training-camp deadline and then told the team it was “all ball” after that.
Later, he said he felt “disrespected” and “undervalued” by the offers, according to reporting from The Athletic and Fox Sports’ Greg Auman.
That kind of situation can stir up noise fast, and it has for Mayfield before. In Cleveland, the friction eventually turned into the kind of falling-out that followed him well beyond that stop. This version of Mayfield sounds like a veteran who knows exactly what impulsive moments cost - and wants to spend his energy on the players around him instead.
Tampa Bay’s offseason also brought another hit: Mike Evans left in free agency for the 49ers. Mayfield addressed that loss on the same show and said the offense still has a path forward if everyone stays healthy and the young receivers take a step.
The first chance to prove it comes Sunday, Sept. 13, when the Buccaneers open at Cincinnati at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, per the NFL schedule.
The Bengals will make the timing of every decision matter, especially with their pass rush and Joe Burrow’s offense on the other side. That’s where Mayfield’s new habit - the extra beat before he speaks or acts - will get tested right away.
He said the game has slowed down for him. He also said he still wants to lead the same way.
Those ideas only work if the pause comes first. Tampa Bay will find out soon enough whether that version of Baker Mayfield is the one it gets for the next 17 weeks.
In Other News...
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Jack Pyburn did enough in August to make the Buccaneers take notice, even if it did not keep him in Tampa Bay for long. The undrafted rookie flashed all preseason and finished with four sacks, tying for the most among edge defenders, before the Bucs waived him during final roster cuts and watched Kansas City move quickly to claim him for its 53-man roster.
For a team always hunting for young pass-rush help, that kind of departure can linger. Todd Bowles had already singled out Pyburns work ethic and production, which only sharpens the question of whether Tampa Bay gave up on him a little too early, or whether the Chiefs simply got there first and saw enough to make the gamble worthwhile. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Suddenly Have A Real Path Back To The Top
The NFC South does not look especially imposing heading into this season, and that has opened a lane for Tampa Bay to get back where it has spent plenty of time in recent years. ESPNs Dan Graziano sees the Buccaneers as a team that could reclaim the division, pointing to the kind of ingredients that often matter most in a crowded race: a quarterback with something to prove, better health, and a roster that has been reinforced on both sides of the ball.
Baker Mayfields motivation in a contract year sits at the center of that optimism, but it is not the only reason Tampa Bay is drawing notice. The Buccaneers have added talent on offense and defense, and if the health picture improves, they should have a real chance to separate themselves from what is expected to be a weak division. The bigger question is whether all of those pieces come together quickly enough to make the path back to the top look as clear as it does on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Quarterback Battle Just Put New Pressure On Atlanta's Roster
Baker Mayfields situation in Tampa Bay remains one of the more interesting subplots of the offseason, especially with Todd Bowles noting the quarterbacks motivation even before a contract extension is finalized. For the Buccaneers, that kind of stability matters. Mayfield has already become the focal point of the offense, and Bowles comments only reinforce how central he is to what Tampa Bay wants to build heading into the next stretch of team planning.
Across the division, the Falcons are juggling a different kind of quarterback conversation, with general manager Ian Cunningham talking through the teams current situation and the roster moves that have come with it. The broader NFC South picture also includes Carolina, where Dan Morgan has been addressing roster commitments, injuries and practice squad decisions, a reminder that every team in the division is still sorting out the same basic question: who is ready now, and who still has more to prove before the picture settles? [Read more 🡒]