Baker Mayfield’s NFL career has taken a turn, and few saw it coming. From being written off in Cleveland and later in Carolina, to a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams when Matthew Stafford went down, he eventually landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he now appears to have finally established himself as a solid NFL quarterback.
However, in 2025, he’ll be working with his ninth offensive coordinator in eight NFL seasons, after Liam Coen took over as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now with Josh Grizzard stepping in as his direct coach, Mayfield spoke about the transition and shared some insight into how Grizzard is adjusting to the role, which he’s taking on for the first time in his career.
Baker Mayfield Gives Insight On New Bucs’ OC Josh Grizzard
Over the past five years, one team, the Buccaneers, has dominated the NFC South. After Tom Brady’s departure, many expected a step back with Mayfield taking over the offense, but the actual results were far more positive than projected.
Under Coen, who briefly worked with Mayfield in 2022 during his stint with the Rams, the Buccaneers’ offense was among the best in the NFL last season, even while dealing with injuries throughout the year. The team finished third in the PFSN Offensive that e+ metric and showed a solid core of players able to adapt to changes when necessary.
Regarding the coordinator switch, Mayfield spoke to CBS Sports about the challenges and the opportunity to continue evolving under Grizzard’s leadership, someone he’s also already familiar with, as Grizzard was previously part of the system as an assistant.
Bucs OTA’s. Baker Mayfield running the Josh Grizzard offense.
Kyle trask back as the backup. pic.twitter.com/oWKLB80GCz— rock riley (@realrockriley) May 27, 2025
“Liam and I were close in L.A. and he was great for me last year,” Mayfield said. “Griz has his tweaks on it. He’s handled it well. Things aren’t just going to transfer from one season to the next. Nothing we did last year matters. The foundation is there.”
Mayfield also explained that they’re now reintroducing specific nuances to his game, aspects that had to be toned down over the past two years to allow for the growth seen on the field. He went from being a reckless quarterback to one who takes calculated risks, managing to significantly improve his numbers despite being less aggressive.
“We are working on explosive plays and fundamentals in the run game. Josh is still getting used to calling plays. He was instrumental in our third-down install and passing-game stuff last year. So he has experience,” Mayfield added.
Grizzard’s presence is expected to be more of a continuation of what Coen established rather than a complete overhaul of the offense. In 2024, the former coordinator gave Mayfield more control at the line of scrimmage, which should remain in place. And while the quarterback himself has said he’s comfortable learning new systems, staying in the same one for two consecutive years is crucial.
Though he’s learned to calculate risks better, Mayfield still led the NFL in interceptions last season with 16. However, he also threw for 41 touchdowns and rushed for three more, numbers similar to what Stafford posted in 2021, the year he won the Super Bowl. Mayfield proved the upside is there, but he still needs to find the right balance between volume and risk-taking.
