Baker Mayfield is entering a pivotal year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The two-time Pro Bowler has proven he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, leading the Bucs to the playoffs over the course of his first two seasons in Tampa Bay while statistically ranking among the top signal-callers in the league.
However, Mayfield is still itching for a new contract, and the two sides have yet to come to an agreement. Furthermore, the Bucs are coming off of a down year in which they failed to win the division and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019, the year before Tom Brady joined the team.
Tampa Bay will also have to fill the void left by the departures of their longest-tenured players, Mike Evans and Lavonte David. Evans joined the San Francisco 49ers in free agency after spending his first 12 NFL seasons with the Bucs, while David called it a career after 14 seasons in the league, all of them in the Red & Pewter.
Mayfield took the time to sit down for a 1-on-1 interview to talk about a range of topics, including what the Buccaneers need to do to win the NFC South again, how Tampa Bay will fill the holes left over by Evans and David, and his partnership with Sonic.
Q: Let’s talk about the Buccaneers. Obviously, big season for you guys. People are kind of not high on you guys because of what happened at the end of last season. Does that put an extra chip on your shoulder heading into the year?
Mayfield: Yeah. Whether you’re saying it’s outside expectations, but really it’s just how we finished. We finished how we finished — not great. Missed the playoffs, didn’t win the division. Any time you finish the year like that and have a bad taste in your mouth, you want to get back to it as soon as possible and right the ship in your own way. I think we had some nice additions, culture-wise, player-wise, and I’m just excited to get going.
Q: Yeah, you brought up the changes. Obviously, two big losses: Mike Evans leaving for San Francisco, Lavonte David retiring. I know you’ve always been a vocal leader, but are there other guys in the locker room stepping up to kind of fill that void?
Mayfield: Absolutely, I think Chris Godwin’s kind of just an elevation in that he’s always been a vocal leader. Mike (Evans) wasn’t necessarily a vocal guy, but Chris always has led by example. But he’s definitely stepped up vocally. Cade Otton has stepped up big time. And then on the defensive side of the ball, a lot of new faces. Alex Anzalone, for instance, I think has come in just with his history and just his demeanor and his play on the field. Physical, kind of always has that last shove, so he’s been a vocal guy that has stepped up.
Tykee Smith, Antoine Winfield (Jr.), and then bringing in guys like A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who we call “Nacho.” Just a lot of guys over there on the defensive side of the ball that are consistently talking, talking trash, and so it’s just a good feel. It’s competitive out there at practice, and it feels like the right fits everywhere.
Q: What do you think is the key for the Buccaneers to kind of right the ship, go back to NFC South Supremacy this season? Because I know injuries were a big thing last year. You were kind of dinged up last year.
Mayfield: I mean first and foremost, going back to the new additions that we had, we have a lot of depth on the D line, and anytime you have depth in the D line, that’s really good. And then our offensive line was really banged up. Not once did those five starters play a snap together all year long last year. Those guys are healthy, feeling good, and that’s where you want to have it going into the year. So that’ll make a big difference. And for us, yeah, as long as the D-line, O-line plays healthy and consistent, then we should be okay.
But for us, just take it one game at a time. After that, we have a good enough roster to be able to put the pieces together. But figure out who we’re going to be, what those bread-and-butter concepts and what that foundation is, and take it one week at a time.
Q: For you, I know it’s always about winning, but I’ll ask you this kind of broad question: What are your objectives for this year as you enter your age 31 season?
Mayfield: Yeah, I think for me, I mean, you mentioned it: Winning is always the priority. But with winning, there’s things that can help you do that, and it’s first and foremost taking care of the ball. I think the weapons that we have, even though Mike’s gone, I think we have a ton of guys in all positions — running backs, tight ends, receiver room — that as long as I’m distributing the ball on time and trying to eliminate those negative plays, for me, that’s the biggest goal: is to keep us on track, playing efficient, and let the defense go to work after that.
Q: Obviously, you’ve grown tremendously throughout your career. You’re in your ninth season now. That’s pretty crazy thinking about it. But what is the biggest difference between the Baker of now compared to Baker at the beginning of his career with Cleveland?
Mayfield: Looking back on some of those clips earlier in my career, just a young guy playing football, not knowing the game, but kind of playing backyard ball. The more you play, the older you get. The game slows down, and that just comes with the territory and the nature of playing quarterback. You get more reps and experience seeing different looks and so, pre-snap game slows down.
You kind of know where you’re trying to get the ball, where this play is potentially going to happen, and just try and do that on time. It’s definitely the pre-snap and the mental aspect that’s different.
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Q: At this stage of your career as a veteran, because like you said, the pre-snap, you know it after all these years. Where do you try to get better, this deep into your career?
Mayfield: Truly, the tiny details. Never try to take any of those things for granted. Whether it’s footwork, just getting guys lined up in the right splits, not just the formations, but the right splits to make sure that these plays are happening on time, that we’re getting it executed, the right route depth and things like that.
For me, it’s really controlling and mastering the whole offense, understanding what we’re getting done, and making sure all the guys are on the same page. And that’s the difference in being able to say that you’re a veteran QB, is you have a grasp on what we’re trying to get done.
Q: For you, it’s safe to say when it comes to objectives, it’s never like you have any statistical objectives in your mind. It’s purely really about winning and getting better, right?
Mayfield: Yeah, correct.
Q: I want to go back to the Evans and Lavonte David thing real quick, because those were big Bucs pieces over there. Have you spoken to them lately? I know Mike has moved on to San Francisco, but have you talked to them over the offseason?
Mayfield: Yeah, talked to Mike a couple times. Just random stuff here and there, checking in. Mike will always be a close friend and just somebody that I respect tremendously from afar now. But yeah, hit him up a couple times, and then Lavonte I have been slowly texting, trying to get him to come out of retirement, see if he wants one last run at it. But I think he’s pretty happy, and his body’s feeling too good to do that.
But those are two great guys, and for me to step into a locker room after kind of journeying around. Two human beings that the players are one thing, but two human beings that I have the utmost respect for, and just great guys.
Q: Obviously, the season opener, it’s the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow. Talk about the key to winning that first game.
Mayfield: Yeah obviously, when you think about the Bengals, you think about Joe, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, that offense. But they did some tremendous overhaul on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, bringing in Dexter Lawrence, upgrading the front, bringing Boye Mafe from Seattle, Cashius Howell from Texas A&M. So they’re really investing in that front seven, trying to make sure that they can support those guys on offense, and so it’ll be a new look.
I think for us, game-wise, it’s one of those things . . . Week 1, early in the year, you don’t necessarily know what their scheme is going to be with that new personnel. But the same thing for us on offense. It’s going to be a lot of adjustments. And so for us, play it true. Do the little things right in each play, and go through your progressions for me, and we’ll adjust in-game.
Q: Let’s talk about Sonic. What is this $7 meal deal?
Mayfield: It’s a $7 “Big Deal Meal.” Obviously, the $7, a nice play on a touchdown and an extra point, the football relation there. But you get a burger, fries or tots, a drink, and a sundae for exactly $7. So a great deal. Obviously, it’s a “Big Deal Meal.” But yeah, just a fun play with the football twist, and was able to, once they came up with that idea, the spin on it with the football idea, and then also they threw in the fact that Emily (Mayfield’s wife) might be a part of the filming, so it made it fun. The whole campaign turned out nice. I’m excited for people to see.
Q: How was it filming the commercial? And then also, (Atlanta Falcons running back) Bijan Robinson is in it, your divisional rival. Did you talk a little trash with him? How did that go?
Mayfield: No, there wasn’t any overlap on the filming aspect of it. Bijan’s great though, such a nice guy. But yeah, filming, I’ve done quite a few commercials, but this one, got to work with the director that I’ve known for quite a while, so had some fun with it. You guys will see just the setup and everything. Pretty good play on words and some sarcasm, irony in there. It was fun. It was a blast, and it’s always fun to get Emily out of her comfort zone and on camera.
Q: If I put you on the spot, is there a favorite item that you have on the Sonic menu?
Mayfield: It depends on the time of day, because it’s hard to beat the ultimate breakfast burrito, and do that with a little French toast sticks, a little finish. Other than that, yeah, I mean, just any burger honestly is a classic. But the Smasher and some chicken bites are hard to beat, man. I got a few favorites, but there’s always tots no matter what that meal is.
