Baker Mayfield had help from former Bucs’ HC in landing in Tampa

Bruce Arians served the Tampa Bay Buccaneers greatly over the three seasons he spent as the head coach before ultimately deciding to retire following the 2021 season. Arians, along with Tom Brady and the rest of the Bucs, helped deliver Tampa Bay its second-ever Super Bowl in 2020.

While Arians' impact was greatly felt during his coaching days, his imprint is still well recognized with the Bucs. Following his abrupt retirement in 2021, Arians remained with the organization as senior advisor to the General Manager, holding that position still to this day.

Arians isn't quite as involved as he has been in the past, but in a recent sit-down on The National Football Show, he gave a glimpse into how he is still impacting the franchise, citing his involvement in bringing quarterback Baker Mayfield to Tampa Bay.

“Yeah, that was one of my last decisions, you know, to get with Jason and let’s go after this; I love this kid,” Arians said. “You know, when I was at CBS that one year, I did two [Browns games with Mayfield], went to Browns practice on Friday. That locker room loved that kid. I mean, loved him. And the way he competed in a Friday practice, I was like, ‘This is my kind of guy.’”

Jan 2, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians looks on against the New York Jets during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The gamble seemed to have paid off as Mayfield has enjoyed the most success of his career in his past two seasons as the Buccaneers' starting quarterback. Since arriving in Tampa, Mayfield has completed nearly 68% of his passes for 8,544 yards and 69 touchdowns, but it is his moxie, character, and presence that caught the eye of Arians and the rest of the staff that made him the right guy for the Bucs.

With high expectations coming off the Brady era, Mayfield immediately won over his teammates and the city, and only continues to pour himself into both.

“He’s won that team over,” Arians said. “He’s won the city over. He owns the city right now, and rightfully so. He’s played his ass off.”

Mayfield had a tumultuous beginning to his career, but has finally found himself ever since arriving in the Sunshine State. He has led the Bucs to two playoff appearances and was one of the top quarterbacks in the league in 2024, commanding one of the top offenses as well, and he will look to build upon his success in 2025 with the hopes of leading his team to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

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