As he was lighting up the Philadelphia Eagles in his first playoff game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield was looking like the confident, elite quarterback that Cleveland Browns fans once fell in love with.
While he eventually fell out of favor in Cleveland following on-and-off struggles under center, Mayfield seems to have come into his own in Tampa Bay.
However, there have been plenty of bumps in the road along the way, and Mayfield recently opened up about some of them (via Brent Sobleski on Twitter).
"There were definitely times I lost confidence," Baker Mayfield admitted during NBC pregame interview when asked about three previous stops.
On his time in Tampa, "Definitely most comfortable that I've ever been."
— Brent Sobleski (@brentsobleski) January 21, 2024
It’s hard to imagine that a player like Mayfield, who plays with as much moxie as any quarterback in the league, could lose his confidence.
On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine any player who has been through as much as Mayfield has to have any confidence at all.
He went from being the number one overall draft pick and a franchise quarterback, to playing for three teams in two years, including two stints as a backup role.
Therefore, Browns and Buccaneers fans alike are happy to see Mayfield back where he belongs – in a starting role for a playoff team.
Now in his sixth year in the NFL, Mayfield had the best statistical year of his career with the Buccaneers, finishing with just over 4,000 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 94.6.
He’s also coming off the best playoff game of his career, as he threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns against the Eagles.
Hopefully, he can keep building his confidence and keep the magic rolling as the Buccaneers take on the Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round.
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