Baker Mayfield said he is motivated to take advantage of his time with the Buccaneers after his NFL career was put in jeopardy a year ago.
The 28-year-old quarterback, who has agreed to return to Tampa Bay on a three-year, $100 million contract, revealed at a press conference Wednesday that his pregnant wife Emily Mayfield is going through the “dark times” in which he is bouncing. He explained how supportive he was. Team to team before landing with the Bucks.
“I went through a lot of dark times to get here, and I think it’s really important to be someone you can always rely on for support,” Mayfield said. “I haven’t always been good at relying on her. I take a lot of that weight on myself. But she’s always been a support piece and she’s always believed in me. Ta.
“[She’s] Good days and bad days, he was consistent when he came to my house. She stays flat even when I need a foot on her butt to move forward. This is going to be her home base for the next few years and she’s going to hit number one along the way, so it’s incredible to have a supporting piece and be able to see it now.
“This is a special time and a really exciting time in our lives, but we’ve seen some dark times, so I think we’re motivated to make the most of this opportunity.”
Mayfield and his wife are expecting their first child, a baby girl, in April.
Couple announces beauty influencer’s pregnancy Instagram During December.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Browns, spent the first four seasons of his career in Cleveland, where he found success early in his NFL career.
He led the Browns to their first playoff victory in over 20 years with a 48-37 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round of the 2020 postseason.
Mayfield’s relationship with the Browns ultimately soured when Cleveland sought to replace him, acquiring Deshaun Watson from the Texans in a blockbuster move in March 2022.
Mayfield was traded by the Browns to the Panthers in July 2022, four months after the quarterback first requested a trade from Cleveland.
Things didn’t click well with Carolina, and he was eventually benched and the team released him.
He moved on to the Rams, filling in for the injured Matthew Stafford, and performed well enough in a five-game audition to earn a one-year contract with Tampa Bay last year.
Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, leading the Bucs to their third consecutive NFC South title (winning five of the final six games of the regular season) and a trip to the NFC Divisional Round. Contributed.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Richt announced that Tampa Bay will sell Mayfield.
“He set the tone for this team with those words. He’s probably one out of 10, for lack of a better word, a 10 on the PR-K scale.” Richt said. During a press conference.
“Thank you. I accept that,” Mayfield replied.
Mayfield’s contract is worth up to $115 million in incentives and $50 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. report Sunday.
