Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield opens up on final season of Browns tenure

Current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield once again addressed the final months of his Cleveland Browns tenure that ended after the 2021 season. 

"I look back at the season [of 2021] when I got hurt; I’m just too damn stubborn," Mayfield acknowledged during an appearance on the "God Bless Football" podcast, per the JoeBucsFan website. "You know, I love playing the game. And obviously, I was going through some injuries starting early in the season in 2021. But everything happens for a reason and I truly believe that. So for me, there’s brighter days to come, but I’m thankful for my time there." 

Specifically, Mayfield first suffered what became a serious injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder in Week 2 of the 2021 campaign and reportedly knew before Week 7 that fall he'd eventually need surgery. The first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft instead tried to play through the setback before he went under the knife in January 2022. 

Roughly two months later, the Browns acquired star signal-caller Deshaun Watson from the Houston Texans. Cleveland then traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers last July. 

Shortly after Cleveland shipped Mayfield to Carolina, he noted he altered his throwing motion in an attempt to reclaim the form that helped him guide the Browns to a postseason victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2021. It didn't work, as ESPN stats show the 28-year-old finished the 2022 regular season dead last among all qualified players with a 24.5 adjusted QBR that he accumulated across forgettable stints with the Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. 

Mayfield signed with the Buccaneers this offseason and seemingly is on track to start for Tampa Bay over 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask this coming September. 

"That’s the stubbornness that’s got me to this point," Mayfield added during the podcast. "Can’t be an average-sized dude and make it to this point without being stubborn as hell." 

In June, Mayfield explained his cup of coffee with the Rams last season "was the first time I had fun playing football in a few years" and left him feeling "revitalized." That along with his admitted stubbornness could help him clinch the Tampa Bay starting gig ahead of the Week 1 matchup at the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 10.