Baker Mayfield explains why he chose Buccaneers in free agency

Quarterback Baker Mayfield has explained why he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after stints with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams last season. 

"I finally had some [time] to think, I think that’s the key word," Mayfield told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. "And, yeah, just looking at it from a big-picture standpoint, I want to play this game for a long time. So where’s the next spot that’s going to be the most stable position, where I can come in and compete, and do the best I can to showcase what I’m capable of? This is a great opportunity to do so. Normally when a spot like this opens up, it’s because bad things have happened. But this one, it’s just because Tom [Brady] retired. So it’s a perfect opportunity for me." 

Mayfield missed time with a left ankle sprain during the fall and struggled while healthy until he and the Panthers parted ways in early December. The Rams became the only team to place a waiver claim for the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he produced some solid moments across his four starts and five games with that club. 

As a Los Angeles signal-caller, Mayfield completed 63.6% of 129 pass attempts for 850 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. According to ESPN stats, his 24.5 adjusted QBR for the entire campaign was the worst among the league's qualified passers. 

After Mayfield signed what is essentially a one-year "prove it" contract with Tampa Bay, he directly said he is "never going to be Tom Brady" as it pertains to on-the-field production and Super Bowl titles. 

While it seems Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles isn't handing Mayfield the QB1 job and instead will have the 27-year-old compete with unproven 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask this summer, Breer noted in his column that Mayfield "was as much in on recruiting the Buccaneers as Tampa Bay was in on recruiting him last month." 

That indicates Mayfield believes he'll be atop the Tampa Bay depth chart by the time September arrives.