What Almost Happened Between Baker Mayfield and the Ravens

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are clearly very happy with Baker Mayfield. Mayfield has a rough first outing in 2026, turning the ball over three times, but the franchise believes in him — enough to give him a three-year, $165 million extension this offseason to be the Bucs' long-term option for the future.

Mayfield has proven he can play great football for the Bucs since arriving to the team in 2023. But it wasn't always like that for him, and there was one particular stretch of his career where his future was very uncertain.

In 2022, Mayfield was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Carolina Panthers, and after a disastrous initial stint there, he was released and signed by the Los Angeles Rams to fill in for an injured Matthew Stafford. That small audition in LA put him on Tampa Bay's radar, and it's what led to the team signing him — and what led to his huge extension this offseason.

Things could have turned out quite differently, though. The Bucs are set to play Mayfield's former team in Week 2, and Browns head coach Todd Monken recalled that Mayfield was initially on a different career path.

Mayfield Backing Up Lamar Jackson?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) makes a pass during the second quarter at Paycor Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Monken revealed to the media on Wednesday that before the Buccaneers came into the picture, Monken — who was the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens at the time — talked with Mayfield about coming to Baltimore and backing up quarterback Lamar Jackson.

"Only four years ago, when I was in Baltimore, we thought he was coming there to be our backup," Monken told reporters Wednesday. "The Bucs signed him, and the good lord put that in place for him and he is taking advantage of that. We thought, after Carolina and the Rams, he was going to come to Baltimore, and I was fired up about it."

How different would things have looked for Baker Mayfield if he ended up in Baltimore?

(Via @MaryKayCabot) pic.twitter.com/BGe7a6WmDW
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 16, 2026

Mayfield's career trajectory certainly would have ended up differently. The Buccaneers gave him an opportunity to start, and start he did, winning a playoff game with the Bucs in 2023, having a career year in 2024 and then getting a massive contract extension in 2026.

Mayfield played under Monken during his 2019 season. It didn't go super well for Mayfield, who threw for 3,827 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, but he knew the system and would have been a good option for the Ravens with Monken in charge.

As Monken mentioned, though, it worked out for Mayfield, and now, he's set to coach against Mayfield in Week 2 on the road. The Bucs play the Browns on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. Sunday, and Mayfield and the Bucs will play the Ravens later on this season in Week 14.

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