Sooners in the NFL: Former Oklahoma Quarterback Commands Another Heroic Drive

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and former Sooner Baker Mayfield was on the winning end of an offensive shootout.

The Buccaneers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 38-35, thanks largely to a stellar performance from Mayfield.

Mayfield went 29-of-33 on pass attempts, finishing the game with 379 yards and two touchdowns.

With Seattle leading 35-28, Mayfield commanded a game-tying drive that ended with a touchdown pass to fellow OU alumnus Sterling Shepard.

The Seahawks retained possession with 1:08 remaining, but on the second play of their drive, quarterback Sam Darnold threw an interception. Tampa Bay got one first down and ran down the clock, allowing kicker Chase McLaughlin to drill the game-winning field goal.

Mayfield’s late-game heroics are redemption for the Buccaneers’ comeback efforts that fell short against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4. Tampa Bay improved to 4-1 with the win.

Mayfield has played in the NFL since 2018, when the Cleveland Browns selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. He played in Cleveland for four years before the Browns traded him to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2022 season.

The former Sooner played only seven games for the Panthers before being released and signing with the Los Angeles Rams to end the 2022 campaign. In the 2023 offseason, Mayfield signed with the Buccaneers, where he has played ever since.

Mayfield is playing his third season in Tampa Bay after leading the Buccaneers to back-to-back NFC South titles in his first two years.

Mayfield spent three seasons as Oklahoma’s starting signal caller.

The quarterback led the Sooners to a 33-6 record as the starter, helping them win three Big 12 titles in a row. Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in 2017 and logged 12,292 passing yards, 893 rushing yards, 119 passing touchdowns, 18 rushing touchdowns and 21 interceptions during his time at OU.

Nik Bonitto excels vs. former OU quarterback

Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts both played at Oklahoma, but the two were rivals on Sunday when their NFL squads battled against each other.

Bonitto and the Broncos got the better of this matchup, as the Broncos overcame a 14-point deficit to win 21-17.

The former OU edge rusher was arguably the best defensive player in the game on Sunday. Bonitto finished with 2.5 sacks, matching his career-high. In total, he had four tackles.

On the other side, Hurts had a season-high 280 passing yards on 23-of-38 passing, and he threw two touchdown passes. 

After a 1-2 start, the Broncos improved to 3-2 with the win. The Eagles entered Sunday undefeated but dropped to 4-1 with the loss.

Bonitto is playing his fourth season in the NFL. The linebacker is fresh off his best professional season, as he earned Second Team All-Pro honors in 2024.

At OU, Bonitto was a second-team All-American in 2020 and a third-team All-American in 2021. He registered 117 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks over three seasons in Norman.

Hurts led Philadelphia to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in February. The quarterback has played in the NFL since 2020, compiling 15,276 yards, 90 touchdowns and 36 interceptions behind center for the Eagles. 

Hurts played one season at Oklahoma after playing three seasons at Alabama. He led the Sooners to the Big 12 title and their most recent College Football Playoff appearance in 2019.

Gabriel makes first-career NFL start

Dillon Gabriel, who served as OU’s starting QB for two years, made his first NFL start for the Browns on Sunday.

Gabriel’s first start had its ups and downs, with the Browns falling 21-17 to the Minnesota Vikings in London.

The quarterback threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-33 passing. The Browns held a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Vikings scored the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute remaining to seal their win overseas.

The Browns announced earlier in the week that Gabriel would start in place of Joe Flacco, who started Cleveland’s first four contests of the 2025 season. Gabriel appeared in two previous games and threw his first-career touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2.

Gabriel played three seasons at UCF before transferring to OU ahead of the 2022 season. He started 24 games over two seasons for the Sooners, leading them to a 16-8 record. Gabriel played one final season of college football at Oregon in 2024, helping the Ducks win the Big Ten Championship and finish the year 13-1.