Baker Mayfield calls out Jets coach for cutting him from Panthers after Tampa’s comeback win
By David Wasson
Published:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield plays the game with plenty of emotion, and he didn’t hold where his fire came from Sunday when the Bucs took on the New York Jets.
“I loved it,” said Mayfield when he was asked how great it was to earn a thrilling 29-27 victory in Tampa Bay’s home opener. “Their D-coordinator (Steve Wilks) was the one who cut me in Carolina. A lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick. Former Jet. A lot of people.”
Mayfield, who was 19-for-29 for 233 yards and one touchdown and led the Bucs to a third straight comeback win, was coached by Wilks in during a tumultuous stint with the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
Mayfield requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns in 2022 and was dealt to Carolina. But he lost his job initially to injury to P.J. Walker, and then Wilks opted to go back to Walker again following Mayfield’s return from that injury. As a backup QB, Mayfield worked for a short time as a scout team defensive end in practice at Carolina before asking for and receiving a trade to the Los Angeles Rams – where he finished out the 2022 season with a successful 5-game stint that led to Tampa Bay taking a chance on him in 2023.
Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma in 2017, also referred to Bucs teammate Reddick — who sat out training camp and 6 weeks of the 2024 season with the Jets in a contract dispute before returning to the team.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
