Early July at Lake Tahoe usually brings sunshine and side bets, but this year’s American Century Championship offers something more. Before NFL veterans return to training camp, several stars will square off on the golf course in front of a national audience.
Two of them, George Kittle and Baker Mayfield, already have plans for plenty of chirping between swings. While Kittle and Mayfield gear up for some friendly competition, they reveal who they think owns the loudest mouth in the NFL.
George Kittle, Baker Mayfield Ready to Rattle Rivals on the Golf Course and in the Locker Room
During a Zoom call promoting the tournament, PFSN asked both players who they most wanted to taunt on the course at Edgewood Tahoe. “I decided to trash-talk Baker,” Kittle said. “Hopefully we get paired up at some point because I have better odds than he does. I don’t know how. It’s my first time there.”
Caesars Sportsbook lists Kittle at 250-1 while Mayfield sits at 1,000-1, so the 49ers star will have plenty of material if the pair share a cart.
Mayfield wouldn’t mind giving a little back to Kittle on the golf course. “I would love to play against George just to hammer the underdog on that one and really take it personal,” he said with a straight face.
“But I would love to get in Sam Darnold’s head. He’s more of an introvert, so I want to ruffle his feathers a little bit.” The Seattle Seahawks quarterback is favored over both Kittle and Mayfield at 125-1.
Golf bravado is entertaining, yet both players admit nothing compares to the verbal sparring on an NFL field. Kittle needed no time to name the league’s most relentless talker. “I go against Fred Warner every day at practice, and he doesn’t ever stop talking,” Kittle said. “He just talks the whole game.” The Tampa Bay Buccaneers star confirmed the linebacker’s reputation, nodding in agreement with Kittle.
pic.twitter.com/Ptj9ogHp0G .@brandongraham55 and @fred_warner‘s trash talk is too funny. 😅 (via @nflfilms)
📺: #SFvsPHI — Sunday 4:25pm ET on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus— KL Norwood (@kl_norwood) December 4, 2023
Warner may set the standard, but the San Francisco 49ers tight end believes at least one cornerback is on the same level. “I always love going against Jalen Ramsey because he’ll talk a bunch of crap to everybody else, and then me and him will just have a nice conversation on the side in between plays,” Kittle explained. “So I always enjoy that one too.”
That mix of competition and personality will be on display from July 11 to 13, when NBC and Golf Channel air the 36th edition of the celebrity tournament. The field includes headliners such as Josh Allen, Davante Adams, Travis Kelce, and Aaron Rodgers, plus retired legends like Jason Kelce, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jerry Rice. For fans, it is a rare opportunity to watch elite athletes compete side by side without helmets or playbooks.
Kittle’s American Century Championship debut and Mayfield’s third appearance promise plenty of friendly friction, but their comments also offer a glimpse at locker-room dynamics that shape Sundays in the fall. Whether Warner maintains his crown as the NFL’s top trash-talker or Ramsey steals the spotlight remains to be heard through the television mics.
