What Baker Mayfield learned from Matthew Stafford during brief Rams stint

Matthew Stafford was on injured reserve in December 2022 when his Los Angeles Rams took a flier on fellow quarterback Baker Mayfield after the Carolina Panthers had released Mayfield.  

Mayfield ultimately made four starts and played in five games for the Rams before he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following offseason. Mayfield has since found a long-term home with the Buccaneers, while a healthy Stafford is still going strong at the age of 37. 

Ahead of the upcoming "Sunday Night Football" game between the Buccaneers and Rams, Mayfield touched upon what he learned from Stafford when the two were teammates for a short period of time. 

How Baker Mayfield's respect for Matthew Stafford grew

"I think I gained an even [greater] level of respect for him about communication, about how he wanted certain routes, certain schemes to be done," Mayfield said about Stafford, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "When you’re at that level — that year, I guess — in your career, you kind of run the ship. Just had a lot of respect for him before, but seeing it in person, on how detailed he really was in exactly what he was going to try and check to, that was big seeing it in person."

The Rams reportedly were the only team to submit a waiver claim for Mayfield at that time, and he completed 63.6 percent of 129 passes for 850 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions while featuring for Los Angeles. Working with Rams head coach Sean McVay and three seasons ago gave Mayfield the opportunity to enjoy a career reset the signal-caller needed after he was discarded by the Panthers and Cleveland Browns earlier that year.

How Rams stint was "pivotal" for Baker Mayfield's growth

"There is no way for me to sugarcoat it — it was pivotal in my career and in my journey," Mayfield added about his Rams tenure. "I’ve told you guys that it helped me find the fun in football again — that joy. And just, getting to learn from those guys. ...They helped me out and helped me discover what offense I really want to play in, and the responsibility that comes with [it] — a lot of accountability at the line of scrimmage and to check and get to the right plays. Yeah, it was instrumental in my career, something I am forever grateful for, and it will be fun to go back and see some familiar faces."

As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the 6-4 Buccaneers as seven-point underdogs for this Sunday's game at the 8-2 Rams. A mystery illness has impacted the Tampa Bay squad throughout the week and could make things more challenging for the SoFi Stadium visitors ahead of Thanksgiving.