Rams HC Sean McVay’s input on Baker Mayfield’s career resurgence may come back to bite him vs. Buccaneers
Sean McVay helped Baker Mayfield’s NFL career get back on track, and now it may come back to bite him.
The Los Angeles Rams were the last team Baker Mayfield played for before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was thrown into the fire one Thursday night during the 2022 season, leading a game-winning drive that will never be forgotten.
A short stint in Hollywood that didn’t produce a ton of wins or gaudy numbers, the Rams went 1-3 with Mayfield under center, yet both parties came away as winners. Sean McVay was first-hand in the reclamation project that has been Baker Mayfield’s career.
He received his fulfillment as a coach, while Mayfield was energized with the confidence that turned him into a back-to-back Pro Bowler, and a player who is looking to use what he learned under McVay, against him on Saturday.
Sean McVay and Baker Mayfield are preparing for a reunion on Saturday
“It was awesome to get to know and see how he views [the game], how he tries to attack teams based on weaknesses, setting formations, trying to get matchups,” Mayfield told ESPN regarding McVay. “That was new to me, and it was awesome.”
You can see Sean McVay’s fingerprints all over Mayfield’s game in Tampa. Sure, a lot of it comes down to scheme and personnel, but the ability to layer the middle of the field, to throw deep breaking routes to the perimeter, the timing and anticipation combined with the gunslinger mentality, it’s all similar to what McVay has with Matthew Stafford.
“There is no way for me to sugarcoat it — it was pivotal in my career and in my journey,” said Mayfield this week regarding his time with McVay. It helped me find the fun in football again. … It was instrumental, and I’m forever grateful for it.”
To learn more about just how good Baker has been with the Bucs, I spoke with Evan Winter of A to Z Sports Tampa Bay.
“Mayfield has gone on the record stating his stint with the Rams basically reinvigorated his love for the game. He was in a really bad place before Sean McVay took him and essentially revived his career.
He’s been nothing but a true professional since he arrived in Tampa Bay and has also developed into a top-10 quarterback over the last two-and-a-half seasons. Bucs players absolutely love him and would follow him anywhere – that’s how much he means to his teammates.
Mayfield can do just about anything asked of an NFL quarterback. He has a strong arm, he’s accurate, and he can scramble for extra yards/first downs when needed. His work ethic, abilities, plus a loaded Bucs offense are the reasons why he’s thrown the second-most touchdowns since 2023 (he’s just two behind league-leader Jared Goff). His biggest flaw is putting the ball in harm’s way, but he’s done a good job of negating that for the most part in 2025. Overall, it’s more than fair to say Mayfield is playing the best football of his career, and it all started with McVay.” – Winter
One of the best matchups of the weekend, Baker Mayfield will do his best to show his old coach just how good he has become.
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