Baker Mayfield reveals how Sean McVay tricked him at one point, but it was for the best and helped him get to the Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield’s path to the Buccaneers wouldn’t have been possible without Sean McVay and the former No. 1 pick recently revealed how McVay pushed him on the field to where he regained his confidence.
Season 3 of Netflix’s Quarterback is diving deep into Baker Mayfield’s 2025 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but one of the more interesting tidbits centers around his time with Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.
As we all know, McVay reinvigorated Mayfield’s love for the game of football. Without that stint, there’s a chance Mayfield isn’t a starting quarterback in 2026 or even playing, at all.
It was a wild ride from the jump. Baker Mayfield had about three days to learn enough of McVay’s system to where he could be considered a viable option for the Rams’ upcoming Thursday night game. That’s a lot to ask of any quarterback – no matter who they are.
Well, we all know how it turned out: Baker Mayfield replaced John Wolford early in the game and eventually led the Rams to a 17-16 win over the Raiders in the final moments.
A big reason why Mayfield pulled out the win is because McVay put a lot more on his plate than the former No. 1 pick expected, but it worked out for the better and played a big role in Mayfield’s future.
Baker Mayfield didn’t expect Sean McVay to call the plays he did in that game
As mentioned, Mayfield didn’t have a full grasp of the Rams’ playbook. So naturally, that means a head coach will cut out the unknowns and roll with the as-knowns. Even if it hampers the offense to whatever extent.
Well, McVay reversed course on his decision to keep the training wheels on and Mayfield remembers it very vividly.
“So, I had a wristband on with with the full game plan on there, so probably 70 to 80 plays,” Mayfield explained. “Sean didn’t call one single play off that wristband, knowing that I got there, as he said, 10 seconds ago. Thank God I studied as well as I did. Don’t have any timeouts. Got to go to the length of the field and score to win the game.
“It taught me I was capable of a lot more things than I even knew of. You can feel, like, a weight is lifted off your shoulders, but I physically felt it. It also just brought the fun in football back for me in a time that I needed it most.”
Who knows what would’ve happened if McVay dialed things back and didn’t go full bore? The Rams may have lost and Baker Mayfield may not have rediscovered his passion for the game.
But, we don’t have to worry about that, because the rest is history and now Mayfield is in the best spot he’s ever been in during his NFL career.