Baker Mayfield - Quarterback, buccaneers Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-16 | Full transcript (primary source).
Baker Mayfield addressed the media during a press conference on September 16, 2026, following a challenging week for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The discussion centered around his reflections on past experiences and the importance of focusing on the fundamentals as the team prepares for their upcoming game.
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Transcript
Mayfield: That hurts that hurts real bad. It's been a rough couple days Oklahoma versus Michigan Yeah, Todd's son was on the winning side of it as soon as we're not and so Therefore I squeezed into this little tank top To do Nope He's probably got something worse. I mean in all fairness the yellow isn't it's not a bad color on you Thanks, Jenna Nope Yeah, I think any time as I've mentioned to you guys with there's history between a franchise a Coaching staff anybody there's always you want to come out on the winning side of that no matter what obviously it's a very different there staff wise and everybody but Yeah, it's it's about four years there. I'm going into your four here. So it's started my career there a Lot of ups and downs but yeah it for me this week is doing little things Right continuing to try and displace the ball where it needs to go and then obviously, you know making the things and corrections I need to in ball security Treating this like another week Things get too emotional. It's probably easier said done.
Reporter: What's the key to that for you?
Mayfield: I'm doing all the little things right, you know I think taking it one day at a time making sure that you harp on little details, you know I think you know that goes back to just obviously not coming out on the right side of the game last week of Really focusing on small details and so when you do that and you're good things will happen on Sunday So for me focusing on that and then when the lights come on you get out there and play it's time to go Let it let it loose.
Reporter: We know you don't have a list anymore Establish that but as time goes on does it become more about Proving the folks here, right and less about proving the folks there wrong?
Mayfield: No, I think for me it's Goes back to the faith, you know looking up and knowing that no matter what happens If I control what I can control I'm doing things the right way. Obviously, I want to win as an ultra competitor That's that's what you want to do at all times. So Having trust in that having faith in that and yeah taking it one day at a time.
Reporter: There's one throw past 20 yards that was the deep shot to mech and in the first series Was that more just like the game plan how you guys wanted to attack? the Bengals with more short and underneath stuff or was that just a function of Coverage or time to throw?
Mayfield: Yeah, I think we had some deeper shots called for sure But a matter of they sinking underneath it and taking some of those check downs taking the underneath stuff that just trying to get it Into our guy's hands as quick as possible, you know that like I said that that last sack fumble the internal clock the same thing That I had checked down to Bucky a couple times the same thing needs to happen right there Get it down to him. Let him go make a playing space And you know stay ahead of the chains.
Reporter: After that Cleveland Situation like what's the biggest thing you learned from your time there to where you are now Like what's your biggest takeaway from that moment in time for you?
Mayfield: Um, a lot of things I think probably the biggest one Trying to be the same person each and every day for the guys in the locker room the people you work with the staff The year-round each day that some things are out of your control If you're trying to get it fixed and you're not worried about the football aspect of your job You're probably letting something slide and fall by the by the wayside So I think controlling who I am each and every day trying to lead the best way possible and control the offense and yeah ultimately win.
Reporter: We're efficient in the early down stuff, you know, obviously we were 50% on third downs A lot of those were pretty manageable third downs, but really executed. Well, and so I think the run game early downs was good You know, obviously we got behind in the score that we had to throw a little bit more than we wanted to But the guys up front I think running wise was great and you know efficiency in the early down pass game You know guys get into the right spots and being able to distribute that.
Reporter: Baker did a game like last week make you Rethink at all in terms of your aggressiveness as a runner trying to squeeze out that that extra yard Are you thinking about that?
Mayfield: I think you know, it's It's tricky. It truly came down to Fundamentals at that point on the goal line near the goal line of risk being below the elbow if I You know, I had it and I was trying to get the off hand to cover it up But it was too low and so when the guy gets an arm in there it pops out So truly comes back to the fundamentals. I don't think it had anything to do with The risk of running, you know, that was a decision and they dropped into coverage covered the scheme well And so for me in the red zone legs have to come alive scramble scramble. Julie has to be a thing down there But yeah at that point it's I don't have to score. I had the first down yardage Now make sure I have the ball and get down or get in the end zone.
Reporter: What do you see from that defense on film and maybe how does that Robinson help prepare you for this Brown?
Mayfield: Yeah, I think Rudy is his whole history is from the Solla Solitary basically the four down jet jet front team You know quarters cover three kind of making it all look the same But it's it's effort. It's a little bit like a little bit of a Little bit of a shock right there on that one You know, I think it's a little bit like a little bit like a little bit of a shock.
Mayfield: Yeah, I think Rudy is his whole history is from the Salah Salah tree It's effort, it's guys flying to the football, trying to make plays. It's a fundamentally sound scheme that guys just execute with effort. And so, yeah, and when you talk through that, we've played a bunch of teams in that system. Obviously, when those guys have familiarity with him, they know what he likes to do, what it comes down to, but it's also different. When you have a guy that's going to a different, obviously building and different personnel for blitz packages and all that. So it's hard to go off one game of tape. So you're kind of trying to plug and play and pick things from Atlanta, from his past, and just trying to see what it is. But it also, for us, it goes back to kind of a week one mindset. We're going to have to adjust and adapt and see what they're doing and treat our base rules like it's day one.
Reporter: You were with Todd Monk in Cleveland, obviously, and he would have loved to have had you with the Ravens when you came here. Just what's your experience with him and now that he's a coach at the Browns, what you thought?
Mayfield: Yeah, obviously, my year with Todd wasn't the best year for the Browns in 2019. We were kind of all over the place, but Todd's obviously an aggressive play caller, wants to spread the ball out. That's just his history and background. But yeah, I've seen on him for years. And so we'll see what happens. But for me, it's going up against the defense. It's going up against Rudy and those guys on that side of the ball.
Reporter: Last week, inside linebackers were on display ranches. I tried for you guys to meet you this night for the Bengals. Your thoughts on Carson Swettinger, what type of player he is in the middle of that Browns defense.
Mayfield: Yeah, I think everybody saw in the NFL, saw last year what a smart player he is for a rookie to be able to adapt and play and read out of plays at a high level. And that's kind of what you saw from Trott in week one. Just a high football IQ. Guys that trust their instincts, shoot the gap, make aggressive plays, but they're also just fundamentally sound. They're not going to be out of position, have bad techniques. Yeah, a great player that he's going to continue to only get better and better.
Reporter: How much did the Bengals focus Baker on the second half of taking Amica out of the game?
Mayfield: Yeah, a little bit more of the double covered stuff for Meck there in the second half. It wasn't over the top by any means. It wasn't like they were truly like, all right, shut this guy down and we're good to go. They're still mixing it up, but they did a good job of taking it away in critical downs.
Reporter: You were able to get 10 involved in the game late. I'm going to try to get involved early. You got some more confidence. You got to trust in him.
Mayfield: Absolutely. Yeah, in that somewhat two minute scenario that we got him going, it was like I told the guys after the game, it was good to see the fact that when you're playing fast, he's not thinking he knows this game. He knows what he's doing. He's getting to the right spots, making plays and doing it at a high level. So he just needs to continue to build that confidence and making plays for us and we trust him.
Reporter: How do you ultimately remember your time in Cleveland? Because I know that it's on one hand, you had your heart broken, but also you guys were able to achieve something that hadn't been done in a really, really long time there.
Mayfield: Yeah, I mean, there's, with any experience, there's ups and downs, good and bad. Ultimately, you remember the good more so than the bad. Yeah, it's first time having a playoff win since 94 there and going on the road and doing it in Pittsburgh. So it's a lot of good memories there. A lot of teammates that are friends for life. Like I said earlier, it's a very different building now.
Reporter: One of those teammates, Miles Garrett, obviously not in Cleveland anymore. You're going to miss Miles on Sunday?
Mayfield: Yeah, Miles is not there. It's good for the box, but Jared versus no slouch either.
Reporter: Yeah, what are your thoughts on Jared versus his play and he also likes to talk about it too out there on the field?
Mayfield: Yeah, you got to respect a guy like that. High energy, a guy that he's good and he knows it. So you got to match that energy and still do your job. But yeah, he's going to bring it no matter what.
Reporter: You seem pretty upbeat even after a loss. Is it because of it was only one game despite the fumbles, you had 27 points, you were moving the ball. You seem pretty upbeat.
Mayfield: Yeah, I mean, the fumbles are something I can get fixed. If it was something that wasn't fixable, I'd probably be in a different spot. It's something that I can personally get fixed to not put our team in that spot. And it's also, yeah, it's week one, it's game one. And it's like I always say, football teaches you life lessons. It's how you handle that adversity, how you get better, how you move forward. And you can't dwell on it because we still have 16 games to go. And so for me, focusing on that, parping on the details, ball security and going forward.
Reporter: Baker, take two more. Jaylen had a full practice today. How excited are you to have him out there to have your full arsenal of wide receivers on Sunday?
Mayfield: Yeah, J.Maxx is stud. Just unfortunate timing of some of his injuries in the past couple of years. But he had a great off season leading up to that point. So a guy that I trust completely, just he brings a different dynamic, being able to separate in man coverage, a different level of juice, and also somebody that when he makes plays, you can feel the energy on the sideline. You can feel it from him and he elevates the standard.
Reporter: Did you watch Mike Evans on Thursday night? If so, before you came on? Was it Thursday or Friday? What day was it?
Mayfield: I did. Yeah, I did. A little interesting to see him in number five. But Mike's Mike, converting third downs and catching fade balls in the red zone.
Mayfield: Thanks, guys.
