Baker Mayfield Sends Warning to Browns Ahead of Week 2 Matchup

The Cleveland Browns traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers in 2022. The following calendar year, he played for three different teams: the Panthers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Time and time again, he's had to prove himself and has used that as motivation every step of the way.

Despite leading the Browns to the postseason in 2020, delivering Cleveland's first playoff victory since 1994, the franchise decided to move on from Mayfield, choosing Deshaun Watson over him. It was an ugly exit, as Mayfield requested a trade one day after the Browns reportedly said that they wanted "an adult" at quarterback. A day later, the Browns acquired Watson.

While he has found a home in South Florida, at least for now, Mayfield still has revenge on his mind as he enters his fourth season as the Buccaneers' starting quarterback.

His first chance at revenge will be in Week 2, when Tampa Bay hosts the Browns, the team that selected Mayfield with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft and then moved on from him four years later.

The quarterback is looking forward to the matchup against his former team, to say the least.

“First home game. Week 2. Cleveland. About that action, boss,” Mayfield on 4th and South podcast with Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette. "About that action, boss. I played them in Carolina, and they hit a 63-yard field goal to win. Pissed. I only played four years in Cleveland. It's felt like forever. This is home now. It's time to show them which home is better."

Mayfield has gone against the Browns only once since being traded by Cleveland in 2022. In fact, it was his first game with the Panthers, the team the Browns traded him to.

Mayfield completed 16 of 27 passes for 235 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in a game the Browns beat the Panthers, 26-24, on Sept. 11, 2022.

Entering his ninth NFL season, Mayfield has completed 2,500 of 3,938 passes (63.5%) for 28,525 yards, 197 touchdowns, and 101 interceptions in 123 games (120 starts). His teams have gone 58-62 in games that Mayfield has played. The 31-year-old has played in five playoff games, going 2-3 in the postseason thus far.

He had his best NFL season in 2024, completing 407 of 570 passes (a career-high 71.4%) for a career-high 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. But Mayfield also led the league in interceptions (16). He followed that up by throwing for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while completing 343 of 543 passes (63.2% in 2025.

Inconsistency – again.

Set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027, as Mayfield and the Bucs didn't reach a contract extension before training camp, the quarterback has a lot to prove once again. Proving the doubters wrong – again – will start in Week 2 against the Browns, and he's ready for it.

Add us as a preferred source on Google