Baker Mayfield has had a rollercoaster of a career so far in the NFL. In 2023 he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an NFC South title and ultimately a wildcard round triumph over the PhiladelphiaEagles. Though overlooked oftenly, Tampa Bay is confident on their leader and teammates have stated Mayfield has looked as good as ever during training camp and preseason.
Baker has shown many different faces throughout his NFL journey, we saw the great, the good, the bad, and the ugly, but we may have not seen the best yet. On his first season over in Tampa Mayfield passed for over 4000 yards and threw 28 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
Mayfield has been a spectacle over in joint practices and scrimmages. His teammates in Tampa Bay are warning the league to watch out for this version of the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner. Perhaps the loudest compliments come from his partner in crime in the backfield Rachaad White. The star running back addressed how Baker is looking both physically and football-wise.
“(…)Looking more explosive, making more plays outside the pocket and stuff like that. [He’s] been awesome in extending plays. I mean, he looks like an action figure,” White commented on Baker Mayfield in an interview at SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel shares his respect for Mayfield
Whereas in previous years Mayfield struggled and was the target of lots of critics, the tables have now turned. He has the confidence vote from within his organization, but has turned heads from outsiders as well.
Ahead of their preseason finale in Tampa next Friday, the Miami Dolphins head coach expressed his regards for Mayfield’s evolution after looking at him from up-close.
“So I was high on him coming out, and I think he’s had a cool story where the really good quarterbacks in this league you have to be able to handle the highs and the lows,” Mike McDaniel said when asked about the Bucs quarterback. “I think he’s experienced both and came out a prime example of how to continue to progress your game“.
McDaniel didn’t leave it at that and instead added on: “I think he is a galvanizer of teammates. I think he brings people together and there’s certainly a lot of energy when he makes a play from the whole team. So you can tell what he means to this team and why he is having success.”