Baker Mayfield Reveals Why He Loved Liam Coen With Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in Duval County for joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of their preseason finale against them, but they are getting more than just work on the field.

It's a reunion of sorts with Jags' head coach and former Bucs' offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who led the Bucs to one of their most potent offensive seasons in recent years.

While the fan base is split when it comes to their feelings about Coen, the players and coaching staff got a chance to catch up with him before and after the first joint practice.

One of the biggest relationships from Coen's time in Tampa Bay was with quarterback Baker Mayfield. On Tuesday, Mayfield spoke about why he clicked so well with Coen during their one season together.

Baker Mayfield Speaks Highly of Former Coach Liam Coen

"Liam is a player's coach, you know, somebody that…He has his system, yes. He has his bread and butter that he wants to get done, but he always adapts to the players and personnel that he has," Mayfield said. "I think just his communication style when it comes down to that as well. Yeah, Liam is a close friend of mine and [I'm] happy for him, but he's a hell of a coach."

It's great to see that the relationship between Mayfield and Coen is going strong, but it's clear that he misses Coen's unique way of blending play calling with his ability to connect with his players.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfiel — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

There is no denying Mayfield's sentiments about Coen as a coach.

Coen helped Mayfield have the best season of his career in 2024 and has now helped drag the Jaguars' franchise out of the mud in just one season.

In his first season as the head man in Jacksonville, Coen connected with quarterback Trevor Lawrence as he did with Mayfield, leading Lawrence to his best record as the starter and the best statistical season in his five years.

That turnaround for Lawrence can be attributed to the confidence Coen builds in his quarterbacks, and that level of play helped the Jags reach 10 wins for the first time since 2017, going 13-4 on their way to winning the AFC South.

While the relationship between Mayfield and Coen is strong, the former is hoping that new Bucs offensive coordinator Zac Robinson can do similar things to get the offense back to where it was during Coen's tenure.

The Buccaneers and Jaguars will wrap up joint practice on Wednesday before the two face off in the final preseason game of the season on Friday night.

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