Breaking New: Baker Mayfield Might Return To Buccaneers Due To 3 Major reasons

It’s conceivable that Baker Mayfield’s first Tampa Bay Buccaneers season will finish where his 2022 campaign started. Naturally, neither he nor the Buccaneers want that to happen.

Mayfield made his Panthers debut as the starting quarterback in Week One of 2022 against Cleveland, the team that had traded him to the Panthers only a few months prior. Now, in the regular season finale, he will play the team that waived him thirteen months prior, as he gets ready to return to Charlotte with the Buccaneers. Furthermore, a lot is at stake.

To capture the division title for the third time in a row, the Buccaneers must defeat the 2-14 Panthers on Sunday. This would be the biggest victory of Mayfield’s comeback season. Naturally, the other possible result would be a defeat to their division opponents, in which case all that would happen would be a peaceful return trip by plane to Tampa and the start of the 2024 offseason.

In the NFL, coaches and players are essentially creatures of routine; most weeks consist of daily repetition of the same beats leading up to a Sunday game. The regular season comes to an abrupt end for any team that misses the playoffs, and even those who do eventually have to deal with that outcome. Every game the Bucs play from this point on will either mean another week of practice or, in the end, a trophy up for grabs.

“That’s something you try and teach the young guys, but until they’re in it they don’t necessarily understand or really grasp it,” Mayfield stated. And having attended the playoffs for the first time, I can attest to that myself. It’s peculiar how it takes place. At that point, you’re competing for your job, for the upcoming week, and simply for another chance. It turns out to be all about a unique atmosphere. You need to be grateful for it. You have to realise that, “Hey, this may be our last meeting together when we get in this huddle.” Let’s see. Simply put, make it happen and make an impact.”

The Bucs’ failure to win the NFC South title in Week 17 and their loss to New Orleans cost them the opportunity to make this trip to Charlotte comparatively meaningless. Following a tremendously optimistic upward surge via a four-game winning streak, it was a sobering and error-filled setback. Obviously, that increased the stakes in Week 18, but Mayfield maintained the team’s confidence remained unaffected.

“We have a tonne of confidence in ourselves, and that doesn’t change with how we played Sunday,” he stated. “All that needs to happen is for us to perform our duties well, which includes paying close attention to the smallest aspects. Realising that this is our only chance to qualify for the postseason and let’s go do it.”

Mayfield also stressed that the Buccaneers can’t stray from that aforementioned routine despite this being a do-or-die game.

“You’re one-eleventh when you’re on the field,” he said. “Try to execute the best you can and good things will happen. That needs to be the mentality. Playoff teams, and the great teams, are the ones who don’t mess up. That’s an extremely high level of focus on your job at hand, even if it’s the simplest play that you’ve done over and over all season. It’s the focus and the little details, so you can’t change your approach on that.”

In essence, Mayfield signed a one-year contract in March to prove himself to the Buccaneers, and he made the most of it. Naturally, that implies that there’s no assurance he’ll be in Tampa come autumn. Although it appears that both parties would be open to continuing the relationship, it has been decided to be discussed over the offseason, which ideally doesn’t begin on Monday. Mayfield just wants to enjoy what’s left of this NFL season because he is aware of how quickly they may all end.

“It’s meant the world to me just to be able to be in a stable place, to be the best version of myself, to [do] what they’ve enabled me to do,” he stated. The staff, organisation, and locker room are all exceptional, therefore I sincerely appreciate them. I think that’s clear to the guys. Every day when I go to work, I aim to bring enthusiasm and passion into my work, reflecting that with exactly who I am.

“It’s been great for me, but yeah, [we’re] not done yet.”