Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is heading into next season slimmed down and ready to roll.
When he was in Cleveland, Mayfield’s physique and offseason preparation were called into question a few times. But fresh off signing a three-year, $100 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mayfield feels better than he has in a while.
“I definitely am in the best shape I’ve been in a long time,” Mayfield said, via Adam Silvon of pewterreport.com. “I just found my routine, found a gym and some trainers that I really like and it’s important. You learn that throughout the process [and as] the years go on. Honestly being able to stay in one place throughout the offseason helps, too. I found some great people to help me get to this point.”
A very slimmed down #Bucs QB Baker Mayfield is at Land O’Lakes HS running a youth football camp today. He admits he found the right trainers to work with in the offseason and staying in one place helps. pic.twitter.com/nv2b5itg9U
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) July 20, 2024
Mayfield has landed on his feet since his breakup with the Browns. After acquiring Deshaun Watson in 2022, the Browns traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers. But he lost his starting spot in Carolina, and the Panthers later decided to release him.
Mayfield had a solid stint with the Los Angeles Rams to close out the 2022 season, likely saving his career. The Bucs took a shot on Mayfield during the 2023 offseason, signing him to a one-year, $4 million contract.
Mayfield passed for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, earning his first Pro Bowl nod. He posted a quarterback rating of 94.6 and helped Tampa Bay capture a postseason win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Baker Mayfield Has Regrets Over Ending With Browns
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A big part of Mayfield’s downfall in Cleveland was his attempt to play through a shoulder injury in 2021. During a recent appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Mayfield admitted that he should have got surgery and sat out rather than playing through the pain.
“The last year in Cleveland, as banged up as I was… Should I have probably gotten surgery and sat out? Yeah, probably,” Mayfield said. “But I wouldn’t change it. It got me to this point and I learned a lot of lessons about, quite honestly, how damn stubborn I am.”
He added: “So many things and factors. And like I said, hindsight is 20-20, but, you know, stubborn [expletive].”
Mayfield was a polarizing figure in Cleveland. But the former top pick also embraced his time as a member of the Browns, which fueled his desire to battle through the injury.
“Part of it was feeling like I was part of the Cleveland community, like the blue-collar attitude of ‘we’re gonna fight through this.’ Not that I’m blaming the Cleveland people, but I feel like that’s just that attitude that we had going into it, and everybody kind of embraced it, but I wasn’t able to play to the best of my ability by any means,” Mayfield said.
Browns Need Deshaun Watson Trade to Pay Off
Mayfield has locked in his future, but the Browns quarterback situation is still somewhat uncertain. Watson is the unquestioned starter, but questions remain about his ability to stay on the field and whether he can regain the Pro Bowl form he had in Houston.
Through two seasons Watson has played in 12 games with mixed results. He’s passed for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Watson is coming off shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for the start of the season.
The Browns will report for training camp on Tuesday, July 23. Cleveland opens up the regular season on September 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.
