Before joining Tampa Bay, Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick of the Browns and led the team to its first playoff win in 26 years in 2020. However, he only played one season, his fourth, in Cleveland before the team traded him to Carolina, where he initially won a starting spot and appeared in seven games before being waived by the Panthers in December 2022.
Mayfield then joined the Rams, where he led the Rams in a 98-yard, two-minute drill two days later in a stunning win over the Raiders. That heroics, along with his solid play over the final four games of the season, once again drew attention and earned him a deal with Tampa Bay for 2023.
A year later, Mayfield made his first Pro Bowl appearance and completed his first 4,000-yard passing season.
He earned the trust of the Buccaneers organization, and general manager Jason Licht demonstrated that faith by signing the quarterback to a three-year, $100 million contract last offseason.
Mayfield's stability didn't end there. Tampa Bay added to many of its roster this offseason, re-signing a number of players, including wide receiver Mike Evans and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. The team also reunited with Mayfield's college wide receiver, Sterling Shepard, after the Buccaneers acquired him, and defensive back Jordan Whitehead returned after a two-year hiatus.
“It went well and I couldn't be happier,” Mayfield said of his first season with the Buccaneers. “Obviously we have some other guys back and they're continuing what we built last year. The way they run the team from the top down, it just felt like the place to be. … I'm really excited to get another season with these guys. It's pretty much the same group, so I'm just going to embrace that wholeheartedly and build on that teamwork even more.”
However, Mayfield and the team will not be returning to compete for a fourth straight division title, as offensive coordinator Dave Canales, who arguably helped bring out the best in Mayfield, has left to take the head coaching job at the rival Panthers.
His absence means the Buccaneers will have to learn a new offense under Liam Cohen, who Mayfield briefly worked with in Los Angeles but is otherwise unfamiliar to most of the players. Cohen will be the club's third OC in as many years and Mayfield's seventh since 2018, including their five-game partnership with the Rams.
The 29-year-old quarterback has endured such constant change throughout his career and more recently through the “Dirty Laundry” era, so he will be able to lead the team with a full understanding of what to expect.
He also knows who they all have to beat to take home the NFC South, including his old friend Canales.
“Don't get me wrong,” Mayfield said, “the divisions are still with us.”
