Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has revitalized his career after failing to stick with the Cleveland Browns. Mayfield joined a list of many starting QBs who didn’t cut it in Cleveland, who are still trying to find their guy. Mayfield found himself with the Carolina Panthers, alongside Sam Darnold, another castaway. He was waived by the Panthers before a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams paved the way to Tampa.
Neither passer succeeded in Carolina, and Mayfield took a shot at the Panthers during a Wednesday media availability.
Baker Mayfield Takes Aim at the Carolina Panthers
Mayfield has some animosity toward how he was handled in Carolina. He found himself on the scout team with limited reps and buried in the depth chart. He and Darnold didn’t have a good time at all, but they remain friends. Mayfield was asked whether he talks to Darnold about the good times in Carolina.
“Reminisce on WHAT days?” Mayfield said.
They weren’t good days for Mayfield, and he told the media. He doubled down on the fact that he and Darnold don’t reminisce on the times because of how brutal they were.
Baker Mayfield said he and Sam Darnold remain close friends…
Reporter: “Do you and Sam ever reminisce on the good old days in Carolina?”
Baker: “Uhhh. Reminisce on WHAT days?
Reporter: “The good old days in Carolina.”
Baker: “Oh, nope. No we don’t.” 😂
(📽️ @Buccaneers) pic.twitter.com/G2k0PgtUsJ
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 1, 2025
“Oh, nope. No we don’t,” said Mayfield.
Darnold and Mayfield have nine-figure contracts and are doing great with their new franchises. They don’t have to talk about the bad times in Carolina, but the great new opportunities they have landed in Seattle and Tampa have redefined their careers.
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Mayfield led the Buccaneers to back-to-back appearances and even notched a playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. He’s made the Pro Bowl in both seasons and has Tampa Bay sitting pretty at 3-1 in the early stages of the 2025 season.
While he hasn’t had the best start to 2025, the team looks great, and he’s led three game-winning drives. He hasn’t had the same dominance through the air, but the wins are coming. By PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, the Buccaneers currently rank 22nd.
His 2024 season was the best of his career. He threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, with a career-high 71.4% completion percentage. He had never had a completion percentage over 64.3%, which he notched the year before. His 2024 was a monster increase in efficiency.
Mayfield is no longer playing scout team defense, as he is no longer tasked with picking apart the scout team defense in practice. The Panthers are still searching for answers to get back into contention, while Mayfield is thriving in his new home. Despite being better off now, Mayfield still made sure to throw some shade at the organization that didn’t give him his chance to shine.
