Perception of Mayfield shifting amid MVP-type run

TAMPA, Fla. -- Baker Mayfield has seen the cognition himself alteration dramatically from the clip helium was a archetypal wide draught prime with the Cleveland Browns to being what immoderate person described arsenic an MVP campaigner successful his 3rd twelvemonth with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A video emerged aft the Bucs' 38-35 triumph astatine the Seattle Seahawks of Mayfield responding to trash speech from a Seahawks instrumentality successful the passageway conscionable earlier kickoff. Fingers were pointed. Expletives were exchanged.

"You're gonna beryllium existent f---ing quiescent astatine halftime," Mayfield said. "You're a f---ing p---y."

Mayfield sought retired the instrumentality aft the triumph too, successful which helium pointed astatine him portion triumphantly skipping into the tunnel, with the instrumentality yelling, "You inactive suck! You inactive suck!"

In Cleveland, wherever the Browns selected him archetypal wide successful the 2018 NFL draught and wherever helium yet went 29-30 earlier being traded successful 2022 to the Carolina Panthers, that speech whitethorn person been received differently.

But arsenic a subordinate of the Bucs, with a 4-1 commencement to the 2025 season, having led his squad to 4 thrilling come-from-behind victories wrong the last minute, it feels different. And those are the astir by immoderate squad successful its archetypal 5 games since the 1970 merger, according to Elias Sports.

"Early connected successful my vocation it was 'cocky, immature.' Now it's 'moxie' and 'he's a dog.' Same s--- antithetic day," Mayfield said Wednesday. "As agelong arsenic you play well, they alteration the narrative, but you've conscionable gotta beryllium yourself, and I've ever been similar that."

He had conscionable turned 23 years aged erstwhile helium entered the NFL. It took a four-team odyssey for him to find his footing long-term, wherever he's playing immoderate of the champion shot of his vocation astatine property 30. He has said connected aggregate occasions that the Bucs "let maine beryllium myself," and helium believes that's helped him propel them to 2 part titles successful the post-Tom Brady era.

Then distant from football, helium and his woman of six years, Emily, person a daughter, Kova Jade, who volition crook 2 successful April, and the household has been precise progressive successful the Tampa Bay community. Their charity, the Baker and Emily Mayfield Foundation, which they launched earlier helium was adjacent formally named the starter successful 2023, is known for supporting lesser-known non-profits. That, and his bluish collar-style of quarterbacking has resonated with the fanbase. But there's besides been a increasing fig of fans crossed the league rooting for Mayfield arsenic helium continues to constitute his comeback story.

"At the core, decidedly the same, but matured successful antithetic ways," Mayfield said. "I'm not disquieted astir small things that don't matter. Now if you enactment it successful the scenery of a competitory shot crippled -- successful that ambiance -- that'll ne'er change."

Bucs wide receiver and erstwhile University of Oklahoma teammate Sterling Shepard, who has gotten a beforehand enactment spot to Mayfield's turnaround successful Tampa, but besides his trash talk, said, "He's not frightened to wound backmost astatine idiosyncratic that's trying to spell astatine him and we each emotion that astir him. ... We emotion that vigor and everybody feeds disconnected of him."

Outside linebacker Haason Reddick, who signed with the Bucs this offseason to effort and get his ain vocation backmost connected way aft a down twelvemonth successful 2024, has felt that jolt connected the different broadside of the ball.

"We got thing but assurance successful Bake. He's done it clip and clip again already this season," Reddick said. "Definitely my fave for MVP campaigner arsenic of close now. He's balling astatine an unprecedented level...