Why Buccaneers coach is worried about Baker Mayfield after latest injury issue

The so-called "UFC" playing style of quarterback Baker Mayfield sparked numerous discussions among local and national sports media personalities across the first three seasons of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers tenure. 

Recently, former NFL quarterback and current Buccaneers passing game coordinator T.J. Yates acknowledged that he has concerns about how Mayfield is willing to leave it all on the field during games for reasons that go beyond just the 31-year-old's health.

The good and bad of Baker Mayfield's playing style

"...It is so refreshing to see a guy that just, you know, he has that [Yates clenches a fist] in him, and what that does for the guys in the locker room and the offensive linemen, the team, the running back, everybody around him," Yates said about Mayfield, per the JoeBucsFan website. "You don’t see [quarterbacks who play like Mayfield] very often these days in the league, and it’s so awesome to see. And you know [Mayfield’s style of play] does have its detriments at some point, because you don’t want him to get hurt, you don’t want to get dinged up."

Mayfield has never missed a regular-season start while with Tampa Bay, but he's also been more than a little dinged up over the past handful of seasons. Most recently, he suffered a significant injury to his non-throwing shoulder in a Week 12 defeat this past fall, and that issue seemingly bothered him through early January as the Buccaneers ultimately missed the playoffs after they entered their bye week at 6-2.

Buccaneers want Baker Mayfield to "dial it back a little bit?"

"He’s gonna play no matter what," Yates continued while speaking about Mayfield. "Like, you’re gonna have to drag that guy off the field because that’s just his competitive nature. But, you know, he’s got to dial it back a little bit. Got to calm that competitive edge down, but you don’t want to take his [fire] away because that’s what makes him great. And that’s what makes the rest of the team great."

Yates' comments are interesting if only because Mayfield hasn't yet signed a contract extension and, thus, is in the final year of the three-year deal he inked in March 2024. One can't help but wonder if the Buccaneers want to see if Mayfield can "dial it back a little bit" and fight off his "hunger" to win in certain instances before the club makes a financial commitment to him past the 2026 season. 

Yates added that Mayfield is "different" and is "one of the last of a dying breed of those alpha quarterbacks." Time will tell if Mayfield's personality proves to be a positive or a negative as it pertains to his future in Tampa Bay.