Opinion: Baker Mayfield is the Most Exciting Player to Watch

When Baker Mayfield played his last season of college football at Oklahoma, there were plenty of clips of his appearing a bit arrogant and doing silly dances with his teammates. I must admit I found the videos and some of his behavior cringeworthy. Not that he was doing anything wrong, but I just felt that he was corny and maybe even somewhat overrated, despite winning the Heisman Trophy in 2017.

When he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, many said that this would be the end of his career. Cleveland is where QB careers go to die. In the last 10 years, the Browns have had 20 starting quarterbacks. This season, we have already seen the Browns bench Joe Flacco for rookie Dillon Gabriel. This is something they most likely would have wanted to put off until later in the year. If Flacco was playing well and the Browns were winning, he may have started all year.

The Browns unceremoniously cut ties with Baker Mayfeild after a little over 4.5 seasons as their starter. All this despite him leading the Browns to a playoff berth a few seasons earlier. The Browns moved on, and Mayfield spent the rest of the season in Carolina where he posted just a 1-5 record as signal-caller. His 6 TD/6 INT season with the Panthers was underwhelming.

Baker played for the Rams the next season and despite having flashes of brilliance, only managed to post just a 1-3 W/L record. Was this the end of Mayfield’s once promising career? Not even close. In 2023 he caught on with the Tampa Bay Bucs. This is where things began to change. Baker seemed to be a man possessed. His play was more inspired. He obviously didn’t want to fade away like so many promising quarterbacks before him.

In his first season with the Bucs, Mayfield posted a 9-8 record overall, threw for 28 TDs to only 10 INTs. In 2024 he got even better. He led the Bucs to a 10-7 regular season record while throwing for 4500+ yards, 41 TD’s and only 16 INTs. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in both 2023 (the first of his career) & 2024. He finished third in “Comeback player of the year” voting in 2023.

Now in 2025, the 30-year-old journeyman QB is playing better than ever. The Bucs are 4-1 with all 4 wins by way of last-minute wins. Baker played a massive role in these four come-from-behind/last-minute victories. Some people are referring to Tampa as “The Cardiac Bucs”. Their games are always exciting, and you know Baker will whip up some magic at the end of the game to secure the win.

But besides all of the on-the-field accomplishments, Baker seems different. On the sidelines when interacting with fans he is very engaged. For the first time it seems as if he is “playing with house money”. There is a confidence but it’s not arrogance. It’s very apparent that his teammates love this guy.

Anyone who has played football can tell you that quarterback is the single most important position on the field. Players look to the quarterback as the leader. To play this position, you need confidence but also a solid temperament. If your QB is immature, overbearing or timid, this can be an issue both on and off the field. Guys like Tom Brady earned the respect of their players by being confident & assertive but also patient and relaxed when the situation dictated it.

Baker Mayfield seems like he has taken a page from Tom Brady’s book and is starting to become just as exciting to watch. You knew when Brady got the ball with a minute left on the clock there was a very good chance you were going to see him pull out the win. That is the reputation which Baker is cultivating in Tampa.

Yesterday, we witnessed a fantastic game between the Bucs and the Seahawks. These are franchises which started in the NFL around the same time. They’ve had similar successes (and failures) in their 50-year existence. Both QBs from yesterday’s game were highly touted at one time, fell on dark times, and have made a serious resurgence in recent years. They turned in fantastic performances and the only major mistake between the two (a pass from Darnold which deflected off a player’s helmet for an interception) was the deciding factor in the game. It allowed Baker to get the ball with barely any time remaining and pull off yet another last second victory.

The Bucs are currently +2500 to win it all at SportsBetting.ag sportsbook. They are +1200 to win the NFC and -350 to win the NFC South.

Mayfield’s play is exciting to watch, hos interaction with fans and teammate is encouraging, and I find myself rooting for a guy who I once thought was annoying and immature. For me, has replaced Patrick Mahomes as the most exciting player to watch.