Joe Burrow hits Baker Mayfield with an elite compliment that adds another layer to his historical deal with the Buccaneers
Joe Burrow has a history with Baker Mayfield and he knows exactly what the Buccaneers’ signal-caller is capable of. He talked about as much when he spoke with reporters ahead of Tampa Bay’s Week 1 showdown versus the Bengals.
The NFL is all about competition and besting the team on the other sidelines, but there’s also a ton of respect involved throughout the ultimate brotherhood that defines the sport.
Joe Burrow’s recent comments about Baker Mayfield certainly toes that line and is proof that while these guys want to beat the snot out of each other on game day – they are appreciative of what is accomplished on the football field.
“I love watching Baker,” Burrow told reporters on Wednesday. “I’ve been watching Baker for a long time. He’s gonna go make plays. He’s gonna make plays with his legs. You gotta be aware of that.
“He can make every throw on the field. He probably has the strongest arm in the league. He can laser some in there. He’s fun to watch.”
Joe Burrow knows all to well what Baker Mayfield is capable of
Joe Burrow has played Baker Mayfield three times over the course of each quarterback’s respective career and the results have been, well, pretty one-sided.
Burrow lost all three matchups to Mayfield when he was quarterback of the Browns and it’s safe to say Mayfield absolutely balled out during those games. The Browns averaged 34.3 points per game and never scored less than 35 points in a single contest.
For Mayfield, he completed 72% of his passes for 734 yards (244.7 yards per game) and nine touchdowns to just two interceptions.
Granted, times have changed in a lot of ways since those games, but the point still stands and it lends credence to Burrow’s compliment. Mayfield is one of the game’s best quarterbacks when he’s healthy and on top of his game and Burrow witnessed it firsthand on multiple occasions.
Time and time again we’ve seen Mayfield rifle a piss missile into the waiting arms of a Buccaneers receiver and thread the needle, showcasing his arm strength.
But for Burrow to dub Mayfield’s arm as “probably the strongest in the league” is a helluva compliment. Especially when considering the elite tier of quarterbacks in today’s NFL. And it lends more credence behind the Buccaneers’ decision to pay Mayfield $55 million per year. Because that kind of elite trait is a must-have for NFL quarterbacks to play at a high level.
Regardless, the Buccaneers are going to need not only every bit of Mayfield’s arm in 2026, but his best game as well, if they want to get back to the playoffs and Sunday’s matchup is a major step toward making that happen.
