Last season, Baker Mayfield had a lot to prove after signing just a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But head coach Todd Bowles has not seen that chip leave his shoulder even after he signed a three-year, $100 million contract this offseason.
One would think that after earning a multi-year contract, that would eliminate any need for Mayfield to continue proving himself. But during a recent press conference, Todd Bowles offered a pretty surprising stance as made it very clear that Baker Mayfield still has a chip on his shoulder, suggesting that it might even be bigger now than it was last season.
“He’s probably got a bigger chip [on his shoulder] now,” Bowles said in his press conference according to Pro Footblal Talk. “Baker is going to be the same every day. He works his tail off to be the best he can be. The guys believe in him and would run through a brick wall for him. I don’t see any change.”
As for his play on the field, Bowles sounds quite confident in Mayfield leading the team’s offense.
“Baker has the keys to the bus,” Bowles said. “He’s driving it. He’s comfortable, we’re comfortable with him. We’re both in a great place right now. He has to run the offense — we talked about this, as far as getting the ball out where he needs to get the ball out, and understanding the offense, and making the correct checks. I think he’s taken it upon his shoulders. He came back in great shape and we expect him to do that. There’s a lot more stability there than there was last year.”
We’ll have to see how he performs, but Bowles sees the same mentality out of Mayfield as he always has.
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