Jason Licht: Baker Mayfield Is “A 10 On The Prick Scale”

Baker Mayfield has always had the arm talent, the flair for making big plays and a knack for leading his team to victories. That’s why the Browns made the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

But after going from being the face of the franchise in Cleveland to an NFL journeyman on his fourth team within the span of one calendar year in 2022, Mayfield developed a different kind of mental toughness. Seeing an opportunity to resuscitate his once-promising NFL career as a starting quarterback in Tampa Bay, Mayfield bet on himself, signing a one-year, prove-it deal worth $4 million with the Bucs.

It was that mental toughness that helped him fight through injuries to post his best statistical season, throwing for over 4,000 yards for the first time and passing for a career-high 28 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions. And that mental toughness combined with his physical toughness allowed him to play through knee and rib injuries late in the season to help the Bucs win a third straight NFC South title and beat the Eagles in a home Wild Card playoff game.

Mayfield was able to turn his sensational season into a three-year contract extension with Tampa Bay worth $100 million, including $50 million in guaranteed money.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Bucs general manager Jason Licht said that Mayfield’s toughness is one of the quarterback’s best qualities.

“Well, it means everything,” Licht said. “He sets the tone for this team with his … well, for lack of a better word – on a [scale] of one [to] 10, he’s a 10 on the prick scale.”

“Thank you, I’ll take that!” Mayfield said with a smile, taking Licht’s comment as high praise.

“That’s what you want in your offensive linemen – and Baker is kind of an offensive lineman in a quarterback’s body,” Licht continued. “It’s what has rallied this team this year. He’s a big part of it.”

Mayfield and the Bucs rallied from being 4-7 just after the midway point of the 2023 season to finish 9-8 and division champions for a third straight year. Tampa Bay went 5-1 down the stretch thanks in large part to Mayfield’s prickish resolve.

Baker Mayfield Was At The Heart Of Bucs’ Midseason Rally

Baker Mayfield spoke about how the circumstances over the last two years, including bouncing from Cleveland to Carolina to Los Angeles during the 2022 season, has helped him become even more resilient.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

“My journey has not been the one that I exactly envisioned – a lot of ups and downs – but just trusting it,” Mayfield said. “Adversity and how you handle it is really a true test of character. For me, trying to relate it to some of the things I did – from high school [and] having to walk on, to college [and] having to battle for a job, losing a job in Cleveland, going to Carolina, having to move to L.A. [With] all of those things, you realize mental toughness can take you a long way.

“Trusting in yourself and believing in yourself and having that confidence and trusting in God that you have everything you’re capable of and you have it all right there available for you, so just go do that and be the best version of yourself. For me, this was a good place that has already shown me that I can do that.”

Mayfield’s best version of himself was on display in a 34-20 win at Green Bay. The sixth-year veteran had a perfect QB rating against the Packers, passing for 381 yards and four touchdowns in helping the Bucs improve their record to 7-7 in Week 15. Then, there was his 337-yard outing with three touchdowns in a 32-9 win over the Eagles in the Wild Card game.

“From the very beginning, the organization made me comfortable in saying, ‘Be the best version of yourself,’” Mayfield said. “As a quarterback, somebody that you always have eyes on you, there’s no other words that can make you feel more welcomed than that. For me, just trying to do the little things right. Once the play is there, then you can really let the energy, the character, and all of that rub off on everybody else.

“For me, just knowing that if you play good ball and you trust the guys around you, good things will happen. [Looking] back on this process, looking at system-wise, that was a big reason why I had a lot of success. I think it does do a really good job of showing my skills and some of my traits.”

Baker Mayfield Is Looking Forward To Working With Liam Coen Again

Even though offensive coordinator Dave Canales left for Carolina to be the Panthers’ head coach after just one season in Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offensive players will experience some continuity with Liam Coen, Canales’ replacement, in 2024.

Rams QB Baker Mayfield and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: USA Today

Coen has spent two seasons (2021, 2023) calling plays at Kentucky as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator, and spent several years in Los Angeles working with Rams head coach and offensive mastermind Sean McVay. That includes the 2022 season in which Mayfield joined the Rams for the final five games of the season when starter Matthew Stafford was hurt.

“Obviously, being able to work with Liam [Coen] in the past – obviously, it was a short stint, but knowing that we have a good relationship and knowing how he’s going to push me and push everybody else to get on the same page,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, Thad is in here – Thad Lewis, our QB coach, as well – knowing that we have that room that we’re bringing back and we can really control this thing and control the ship.”

Tampa Bay’s postseason run ended with a 31-23 loss at Detroit last year in the NFC Divisional playoffs. The Bucs and Lions were tied heading into the fourth quarter but couldn’t finish Detroit off.

“The expectation on the outside, if you pay attention to that, you’re not doing it right,” Mayfield said. “Just knowing the people that we have in this building, we set our own standard – we know what our own expectation is. We know the pieces that we have. We’re capable of winning a Super Bowl. You set that standard and you don’t let anybody dip below that line.
For us, we have a lot of the same guys coming back. We were there. Once you get a taste of losing in the playoffs, it makes you driven even more.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

“For us, knowing that we were a little bit short in the playoffs and just to continue to push… There [were] a lot of lessons we learned last year as a team, as well. Starting out 3-1 and going to 4-7 and having to win five-out-of-six of the last ones to get into the playoffs, we were battle tested. Knowing that we can control that – there’s things that can go your way, but as long as you stay the course, good things will happen.”

Seeing star players like Mike Evans re-sign with the Bucs this offseason was a huge factor in Mayfield’s decision to return to Tampa Bay. Being able to finish what he and the team started was another big reason.

Mayfield hinted that he may have taken less money with his new deal so that general manager Jason Licht and the Bucs could re-sign all of their star free agents. Even with his big new contract worth an average $33.3 million per year and despite winning last year’s division title, Mayfield is still only the third-highest paid QB in the NFC South behind New Orleans’ Derek Carr ($37.5 million) and Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins ($45 million). That doesn’t bother Mayfield one bit.

“For me, I said it immediately after our Detroit game, following the loss: to build a winning team and to have a lot of the key pieces that we needed back to continue this run and improve it, some sacrifices have to be made,” Mayfield said. “Now, listen, this is life-changing money and I’m not going to act otherwise. It’s something that I’ve worked extremely hard for over the years and many years of football. I’m grateful for it. There’s nothing to be ashamed about. There’s nothing to say, ‘Oh, well he got more.’ It’s not that mentality.

“Knowing that we have a chance to bring back some key pieces and make a further run in the playoffs, that’s important to me. I’m a winner at heart, I hate losing, so knowing that we get a lot of guys back and we can continue to build this for years to come is a special thing.”

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