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Baker Mayfield’s 2022 season probably didn’t go the way he expected it to. The Panthers acquired him in a trade and made him their starter for six games, but he was benched and eventually cut by Carolina after a disastrous stint with the team.
The Rams picked him up off waivers with Matthew Stafford sidelined, and he quickly provided a spark by leading them to a miraculous comeback win over the Raiders. He said countless times how much he enjoyed his time in Los Angeles and even now as a member of the Buccaneers, he’s thankful for his brief tenure with the Rams.
Not only did he get a chance to start again, but he regained the joy of playing football again for the first time in years.
“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. It was the first time I had fun playing football in a few years,” Mayfield said of his Rams tenure, via the New York Post. “It brought that feeling of having that success and really remembering what it was all about. Kind of hit the reset button for me.”
The Rams went 2-3 with Mayfield at quarterback, which is only one fewer win than they had in the first 12 weeks of the season. It wasn’t perfect or always pretty, but Mayfield played well enough to earn another shot at a starting job in Tampa Bay – though he’ll need to win the job first.
He loved playing for Sean McVay, as most players do, and his knowledge of the Rams offense will help him in a Bucs scheme run by David Canales.
“To be around a coach like Sean McVay and a bunch of other guys … to be around those guys and to be in that offense and now looking forward to being in Tampa because it’s a very similar system with our new offensive coordinator [David Canales],” Mayfield said.
Had Mayfield not gotten the opportunity to compete for a starting spot elsewhere, he likely would’ve been happy to return to the Rams as Stafford’s backup. But he couldn’t turn down the chance he’s getting with the Buccaneers.
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