If you ask Baker Mayfield what changed for him over the last 12 months, he’d tell you that he saw the light.
Well, First Things First co-host Chris Broussard did as much on Thursday—as he inquired about the stark contrast between Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield. The former No. 1 overall pick would proceed to hint at some organizational dysfunction in Charlotte.
“I mean, it starts top-down,” he replied. “How they run the organization and everybody bein’ on the same page and just, how do you win games? When you got a lot of voices goin’ on behind the scenes, you’re makin’ distractions for your players. You’re not puttin’ them in a good position to have success and play free. So for me, gettin’ to Tampa—it was refreshing.”
Mayfield didn’t last long in Carolina, who granted his release back in December of 2022. He made six starts over seven games—tossing for six touchdowns, six interceptions and an average of just 187.6 yards per contest.
Tampa would then come calling, signing Mayfield to a one-year prove-it deal last offseason. And boy, did he ever prove it—passing for career-highs in yards (4,044) and touchdowns (28) while leading the Buccaneers to their third straight NFC South crown.
As for the “voices” comment from Mayfield, that sentiment is nothing new. Just ask tight end Hayden Hurst, who told reporters last month that rookie quarterback Bryce Young had too many opinions in his ear throughout his rookie season.
But hey, at least the Panthers now have a pretty big chunk of what made Mayfield and the Bucs successful in 2023.
