Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) lines up against the New York Jets in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) lines up against the New York Jets in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
By Sam Neumann on

Baker Mayfield doesn’t need to do this.

The Oklahoma product has proven his doubters wrong, going from a walk-on to Heisman winner to an eventual No. 1 overall pick. After leaving the Cleveland Browns, he’s charted his path to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he’s revived his career and become one of the better quarterbacks in the National Football League.

But he still carries that same chip on his shoulder, even when it no longer makes sense.

After beating the Jets 29-27, Mayfield couldn’t help himself. He made the win “personal,” claiming Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was “the one that cut me in Carolina.” Never mind that Wilks was an interim head coach for barely two weeks when Mayfield was released, or that both sides agreed it was mutual. Mayfield had to make it about himself.

We thought that was the end of it, but Baker Mayfield expanded on those comments during Mark Sanchez’s new show for Fox Sports digital.

“Coach Bowles never even mentioned it. It’s kind of one of those things that nobody says anything, but you know, after being there, and him being the last guy to take him to the playoffs,” said Mayfield. “I think that’s a big deal.”

The problem is that Bowles never took the Jets to the playoffs. During his four seasons as head coach from 2015-18, the Jets went 24-40 with zero playoff appearances. In Bowles’ first season, the Jets went 10-6 but missed the playoffs after losing a win-and-you’re-in finale to Rex Ryan’s Bills. Ryan was actually the last coach to take the Jets to the playoffs, back in 2010.

“And then, obviously, Haason coming in,” Mayfield continued. “And getting to know him a little bit more just throughout the offseason and whatnot, hearing all the chaos he went through. You just know that it means more to those guys.”

But describing Haason Reddick’s situation as “chaos” overstates what happened. Reddick held out through training camp and the first seven weeks of the season seeking a contract extension. The Jets had offered him a deal before the trade, which he rejected. They then told him they wouldn’t negotiate until he reported. When Reddick’s original agents dropped him, he hired Drew Rosenhaus, who worked out an adjusted contract within days.

The Steve Wilks situation is more complex than Mayfield presented. Wilks became Carolina’s interim coach in October 2022 after Matt Rhule was fired. Mayfield was released in December, almost two months later, after going 1-4 as the starter.

“We had a conversation, which I did respect,” Mayfield told Sanchez. “(He) basically left it up to me whether I was going to get released. I’m either getting cut or ‘I asked for my release.’ It is what it is. I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. It worked out for me tremendously because I got to go to LA, be around [Sean] McVay, some of those guys, learn, get five games on my resume before heading into free agency… I’m pretty appreciative of it happening because it got me to Tampa.”

So Wilks handled the situation professionally and actually helped Baker Mayfield land in Los Angeles, where he started his comeback. When asked about Mayfield’s comments this week, Wilks responded diplomatically, saying, “I don’t really think an interim coach has that much authority over personnel. If that’s the case, I would’ve never gotten rid of our best player, Christian McCaffrey.”

The broader point here isn’t that Mayfield is wrong to use motivation however he finds it. Competitors at the highest level look for any edge, and if perceived slights help him perform, that’s part of what makes him successful.

But Mayfield has reached a point in his career where he doesn’t need to manufacture storylines. He’s made back-to-back Pro Bowls, led Tampa Bay to playoff appearances, and has the Bucs off to a 3-0 start this season. His reputation is fully rehabilitated from those Cleveland years where he bounced between coaches, dealt with constant dysfunction, and never found consistent footing before the organization moved on from him..

The chip-on-shoulder mentality served Mayfield well when he was fighting for respect and opportunities. Now that he’s established himself as a franchise quarterback, that same intensity might be better focused on the present rather than relitigating old grievances.

Tampa Bay is winning because it has talent, coaching, and a quarterback who can deliver in clutch moments. Baker Mayfield has earned the right to let his current success speak for itself rather than keeping score from years past.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann