Baker Mayfield has always been the type of player who wears his emotions on his sleeve, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback says he has noticed a shift over the years in the way people react to that.
Mayfield has been known for talking trash to opponents since he was a star in college at Oklahoma. The former Heisman Trophy winner infamously pretended to plant a Sooners flag at midfield following Oklahoma's win over Ohio State in Columbus back in 2017. Getting into it with opponents and fans has always helped fuel Mayfield, and we saw another example of that before the Buccaneers' game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
A video that circulated on social media showed Mayfield exchanging some profanity with a Seahawks fan at Lumen Field in Seattle. Mayfield got the last laugh by leading the Bucs to a 38-35 win, and he taunted the fan as he headed to the locker room after the game.
ESPN's Jenna Laine asked Mayfield on Wednesday how it felt to "have the last word" with the Seahawks fan. The former No. 1 overall pick said it was "pretty fun." Another reporter then noted that Mayfield wasn't "as accepted for doing some of that stuff" earlier in his career.
Mayfield laughed and spoke about the way the narrative surrounding him has changed.
"Early on in my career, it was looked at as cocky and immature. Now, it's moxie and 'he's a dog,' same s--- different day," Mayfield said. "As long you play well, they change the narrative. You've just gotta be yourself, and I've always been like that."
Baker Mayfield on changing perceptions of him: “Early on in my career it was ‘cocky, immature.’ Now it’s ‘moxie’ and ‘he’s a dog.’ Same sh— different day. As long as you play well, they change the narrative, but you’ve just gotta be yourself, and I’ve always been like that.” pic.twitter.com/0oNSiPmg3b
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) October 8, 2025
The Buccaneers improved to 4-1 with their victory over the Seahawks. Mayfield has been without wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for much of the season, but the emergence of first-round rookie Emeka Egbuka has helped fill the void. Mayfield also continues to be one of the best late-game quarterbacks in the NFL, which is consistent with that "dog" mentality that he referenced.
Mayfield is tied for third in the NFL with 10 touchdown passes entering Week 6. His 1,283 passing yards rank fourth, and he has thrown just one interception. He is more than living up to the three-year, $100M extension he signed with Tampa Bay during the offseason.
Mayfield has changed a lot as a player since he entered the NFL in 2018. His personality has largely remained the same, and Bucs fans should be grateful for that.
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