Troubling Timing For Baker Mayfield Family And Financial Distraction
August 19th, 2023
Family trouble for Baker Mayfield.
Not Joe, but many fans and media believed Tom Brady was distracted last season because he was losing about $30 million in a shady, high-profile cryptocurrency deal.
Yeah, it’s a lot of money, but Brady is a walking ATM. He could make up those losses without breaking a sweat.
Enter Bucs No. 1 quarterback Baker Mayfield. On Tuesday — Tuesday! — lawyers representing Mayfield and his wife filed a petition in a Texas court requesting information about an alleged misuse of $12 million of their money by an investment firm where Mayfield’s family members work, per the report from NBC affiliate KXAN in Austin.
It’s a demand for financial records from 2018 to 2023 (Mayfield’s NFL years) and for depositions, per the report, so Mayfield and his wife can explore what happened to their funds. Witnesses to be deposed are members of Baker Mayfield’s immediate family, per the report.
“Petitioners simply do not know if their money has been properly and competently invested, has been stolen or otherwise misappropriated, or something in between,” the document stated.
Now that’s a distraction, slapping attorneys on family members because you don’t know what they did with roughly half your career net income.
Mayfield’s father and brother work for the firm in question, per the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.
Joe feels awful for Mayfield, but Joe is more focused on the timing of the public court filing.
It would seem to be an extremely foolish play by Mayfield to go public with a major family/financial issue if he didn’t already have the Tampa Bay starting quarterback job locked up. That’s hardly what you want to inject into the mix as your employer considers a career-changing decision on your future as a potential franchise QB.
So Joe believes Mayfield signed off on that Tuesday court filing because he already knew he had the Bucs’ No. 1 QB job in his pocket, which is no surprise.
Regardless, a family squabble like this Mayfields mess certainly could affect Baker Mayfield’s day-to-day football mindset. How could it not?
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August 19th, 2023 at 5:56 am
Did you just use potential franchise QB and mayfield in the same breath Joe? Lol, thanks for the comic relief this morning. Well, the Bucs consider him to be that. Keyword: potential. –Joe
August 19th, 2023 at 6:21 am
Well I guess if we want to embrace mediocrity, he’s our man Joe.
August 19th, 2023 at 6:33 am
Joe, I agree with you that this is an unfortunate circumstance for Baker, but there is a reason Jason and Todd chose this young man to be their potential Franchise QB. Not to mention that the Browns selected him number 1 overall. There’s also a reason why they work for the Bucs/NFL and why we watch games from Big Storm Brewery, Hooters etc. Have a great Saturday, Go Bucs!
August 19th, 2023 at 6:38 am
Wow this is becoming a common occurance with Investment people and NFL players. When its family…Geez!
Amazes me that it is apparently difficult to keep tabs on what people are doing with your money.
Go Bucs!
August 19th, 2023 at 6:40 am
“It’s a demand for financial records from 2018 to 2013 …”
Best to change the last “1” to a 2. Turns chaos into lucidity in less than a few seconds. We all err, but this one kinda leaps off the page or I wouldn’t mention it.
August 19th, 2023 at 7:05 am
^^^^^
Frustrated writer
August 19th, 2023 at 7:09 am
More excuses for Maybefield. This guy can’t do one thing right!
August 19th, 2023 at 7:19 am
The timing and possible stress related to it are a non issue. This was filed recently but I’m 100% sure that the discovery of this and the fact finding has been many months in the making. Mayfield probably knew something was amiss even BEFORE he signed with the team.
August 19th, 2023 at 7:20 am
No problem here……another reason why Mayfield has incentive to play well…..revive his career and his bank account.
August 19th, 2023 at 7:24 am
I really hope Baker Mayfield proves all the negative Nancy’s wrong. , but they will find a new target if he does
August 19th, 2023 at 7:40 am
‘So Joe believes Mayfield signed off on that Tuesday court filing because he already knew he had the Bucs’ No. 1 QB job in his pocket’.
ASSUMING that Baker had been informed that he had the starting gig locked up, the Bucs’ hierarchy could’ve always changed their mind after hearing the news of his financial troubles. They’ve already seen first-hand what ‘distractions’ did to the GOAT. Seems doubtful they’d want to ride that roller coaster again.
The filing itself doesn’t sound like that big a deal. It’s just exploratory (‘seeking information’ as the story says). Whoa, whoa. Not that big a deal? Think about what it took to get to this unfortunate point for Mayfield, who obviously doesn’t have his own documents/accounting that he requested. Very sad situation. –Joe Need a lot more details I think before playing the Chicken Little card.
August 19th, 2023 at 7:40 am
Unfortunate but hopefully insignificant to the big picture here.
August 19th, 2023 at 7:42 am
I’ve investigated financial crimes for what seems like eons. Based on what I’ve seen – this issue was probably discovered a while ago. Especially because it involves family. There probably efforts to resolve it before any petitions were filed. Next step is most likely a law suit. I say all of that to say this. Mayfield has likely been playing with this “burden” for quite sometime. So what we have seen on the field is what we will continue to see on the field regarding his play.
August 19th, 2023 at 7:43 am
Or maybe he found out that he won’t be the starter and that’s why he felt comfortable going public with this information.
August 19th, 2023 at 7:44 am
I’ve read this multiple times trying to connect the dots between financial misappropriation and a starting QB gig. In a time where athletes can’t hide what they had for breakfast if they wanted to, this seems to be a severe overreaction. Remember, everything has a price! Go Bucs!!
August 19th, 2023 at 7:58 am
As folks get closer to retirement they start taking a closer look at that golden parachute and ways to live on less.
He just didn’t start looking Monday.
If Baker is the #1 perhaps Trask put enough of a scare and Canales added enough humility that he realized that this really could be it.
It has got to be hard going from 20 m a year to 4 m especially with folks dipping in your pocket.
Play well Baker. I see a perfect endorsement deal for ya. “ XYZ Investments. A company even I can trust”
Wish Him Luck.
August 19th, 2023 at 8:03 am
The old adage to never invest with family or friends is still good advice. This must be difficult to deal with. Makes me wonder if they got the job at the firm because they were bringing Mayfield $$ in and not because they were good at managing money.
August 19th, 2023 at 8:09 am
LMAO. Joe engages in mental gymnastics once again to find “evidence” that Mayfield is the starter.
August 19th, 2023 at 8:31 am
What if Trask scores on his first drive and Mayfield throws a pick…
August 19th, 2023 at 8:33 am
Man I don’t know about this one. The media is always fishing for a story but you clearly said his representatives so at this moment this is nothing more than a fact finding mission and just like negotiating a contract with a team or his rookie contract all he can do is let them handle. It’s not a distraction until that information is discovered. He’d be well into the season and the starter
August 19th, 2023 at 8:47 am
Well THIS is going to make Thanksgiving a bit uncomfortable
August 19th, 2023 at 8:49 am
Seems a lot of you are missing what a sh**show this has probably been for Baker and his wife to get to this point where he’s going after his father. Likely goes back to before he joined the Bucs or at least whenever he saw his last tax return.
Have to think he kept all this from the Bucs until his time was right.
August 19th, 2023 at 8:49 am
HenriM Says:
August 19th, 2023 at 8:19 am
I live in Bonita Springs, is the game available live (and free) here?
I live in VA, and if in interpreting the web site’s verbage correctly it can be watched on buccaneers.com. Anyhow, that’s what I’m planning on
August 19th, 2023 at 8:57 am
Hope you stretched before you attempted a reach like that.
August 19th, 2023 at 9:05 am
It’s alot of money but he has to know that’s nothing to what he wants/can make the next 5 years or so if he can win and keep winning . Not to mention he probably made that much with all his stupid commercials at the dog pound ……
August 19th, 2023 at 9:09 am
64 yards on 8 passes in his first preseason game a franchise quarterback it does not make. This is a huge distraction. That money could determine how he lives in his future. If the the BUCS have given him the job already without him earning it which he hasn’t that’s on them. From licht all the way down. He has thrown 64 yards so far that’s it. Most of those yards are yac after contact around the LOS. I don’t understand why who wins shouldn’t earn it. Make them earn it.
August 19th, 2023 at 9:22 am
Hopefully Mayfield still has enough money to buy Trask a new clipboard. The one he has is getting old.
August 19th, 2023 at 9:24 am
We ended up with a td, you take what the D allows. Do the short stuff enough, they bring the safeties up, BOOM! You get Evans one on one
August 19th, 2023 at 9:29 am
Absolutely horrific, half your career earnings you thought were in investment funds gone.
That money he put in prior to 2020 should have doubled but it’s gone.
Feel for the dude.
August 19th, 2023 at 9:31 am
HC Grover – “What if Trask scores on his first drive and Mayfield throws a pick?”
Back to the training camp narrative that picks don’t matter, I guess. 😛
August 19th, 2023 at 9:33 am
@Capt2fish
Trask has enough money to buy your double-wide several times over.
August 19th, 2023 at 9:34 am
Pewter Power – “Man I don’t know about this one.”
Don’t worry. The day is long. Joe will come up with another reach.
August 19th, 2023 at 9:35 am
If lawyers are involved in a family dispute, the distraction likely happened a while back- maybe 6 months to a year ago. Mayfield will just be updated by his lawyers-Who doesn’t have financial distractions nowadays?
August 19th, 2023 at 9:42 am
Trust no one with your money! Insist on current reports of balances, deposits and withdrawls. Any activity on your accounts should require your written approval! Sadly family members are too often assumed to only act in your own interests. When it comes to money, temptation can begin with just small amounts they intend to put back but gradually spin out of control. Happens all the time. Even Brady got sucked into a huge bitcoin loss. There are countless pro athletes who are broke in retirement because of investment scams, etc.
August 19th, 2023 at 10:02 am
Sounds like Baker and his attorneys have made formal requests for some time with no response so this isn’t new. Court petition than formal complaint to police, then lawsuits. There is probably a statute of limitations issue also and my guess is that Baker doesn’t have much choice? It is probably going to get very complicated and will result in Baker ending his relationship with family members.
August 19th, 2023 at 10:20 am
Ridiculous. Most people posting on this site will never make five million dollars in their lifetime. He likely has another 10 million in assets as well He is 28 years and his name is known everywhere. Much ado about nothing.
August 19th, 2023 at 10:25 am
Kyle Trask, please light it up tonight!
August 19th, 2023 at 10:50 am
@ Beej: I live in VA as well. I’ve never been able to watch a game on buccaneers.com. I bought NFL+ for the year to watch preseason. I dropped DirecTV and picked up YouTube TV to watch every Sunday. Just FYI’ing you.
August 19th, 2023 at 11:05 am
It prob wasn’t the fact that he personally lost $30MIL that had Brady’s head so messed up. It was a thoroughly tumultuous year for him and his peeps.
I guarantee you Brady was wayyy more upset that he convinced everyone he knew and loved to invest in FTX and they all lost a boat load of money and many of those fans etc alos lost their life savings because they trusted Brady’s recommendation.
Brady’s head was a total mess last year.
August 19th, 2023 at 11:17 am
Interesting how some see this as no big deal.
For the rest of us, IT’S A BIG DEAL! Add in that your “Family” is REFUSING to show you what is ABSOLUTELY, and RIGHTFULLY YOURS, Probably Stealing you Blind, (they are blinding him on Purpose), THAT IS the heart of the law suit… And now we have a VERY BIG DEAL!
Some people seem to discount that it’s ALSO a Very Serious matter of the heart. NO LITTLE THING PEOPLE!
It changes how I view Mayfield. My heart goes out to him. There is nothing quite like being betrayed, humiliated, and disrespected by your “MOST Trusted” inner family!
And because it’s his father and his brother, I hope that “if guilty” the government (small or large) takes it out of Mayfield’s hands and PROSECUTS them to the wall!
How DARE his father and brother do him this way! And I can GUARANTEE YOU 💯 that if they are guilty of crimes against BLOOD then they Are CERTAINLY GUILTY of these same practices with EVERYBODY ELSE…..
I am truly sorry to hear this for Baker. Sad doesn’t describe enough, the truth of the betrayal you’re actually talking about here.
It’s possible that he actually performs better and not worse now that he’s let’s say “taking back his heart” and is putting a sword in the betrayal! A righteous Sword at that.. In fact, it just might be a Very Good thing and benefit to the team because this is certainly NOT new, and it has assuredly affected his happiness through time…
It’s just that he’s had Enough! And with this new actionable courage, he may Really Shine with a Full heart instead of a half hearted attempt. You know, a Broken Heart and I applaud him.
And the actual answer is yes. It affects Baker substantially. And if anybody thinks not…. Then you are “Uniquely” screwed up in your head…
August 19th, 2023 at 11:20 am
I wonder if Mayfield’s money was foolishly invested in FTX?
That’s one sure fire way to flush your savings down the toilet.
Poor guy. It’s sad when you can’t even trust your father and brother to watch your back…
August 19th, 2023 at 11:57 am
He got ripped off for half his worth by members of his own family?
Yikes. Nasty business.
I feel for the guy, but I don’t think this has anything to do with the Bucs QB competition.
He’d want redress no matter what is going on. Where’s my money?
August 19th, 2023 at 12:03 pm
His brother and father stole his money? OMG!!!
August 19th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
I dont understand the point of these articles. It is copying the british tabloid and
Nyc tabloid crap. Enuff is enuff. It is too intrusive and leads to ridiculous speculative comments and is plain non productive. Can sports writers and radio hacks actually come up with constructive sports related discussion unlike that
radio hack Tkras and others who use the tired and tried garbage tabloid headliner. You dont have to be a complete homer and sugar coat but conversation deteriorates quickly with this loosely based not well thought out opinionated new way of sports journalism. Have some class!
August 19th, 2023 at 12:32 pm
Chark:
Am curious what you consider “constructive sports related discussion.”
When you ask “Why can’t sports media… ” In Joe’s case, Joe has 15 years worth of data. Joe has always followed “what interests Joe,” and this does. It’s worked way beyond Joe’s imagination
Most media are businesses, not founded on a love of a team like Joe has. Think of it like a restaurant: You won’t stay in business long if you keep serving food customers don’t care for. So that’s how many successful media operate.
August 19th, 2023 at 1:00 pm
One thing I have always hated about the human race is that the ones that are the closest to you are the ones who can hurt you the most. It really sux.
August 19th, 2023 at 1:05 pm
just so long as he dosnt feel the need to recoup his money the “Art Schlichter” gambling method
August 19th, 2023 at 1:26 pm
NBC Sports has the following on its website: “According to KXAN.com, via JoeBucsFan.com, Mayfield and his wife …”
The big networks coming right here for the front line journalism 🙂 Nice job Joe!
Unrelated topic… just a small tip for some of the other commenters here – less is more. If I have to scroll down to finish reading your post, then I’m mot reading any of it. Make your point without rambling or reciting a Constitution worth of data.
August 19th, 2023 at 2:13 pm
@ Dungy Dance
Then don’t read it. Some simply have more to say than others sometimes. Usually more creative and see many worthy points and angles that you clearly aren’t interested in and that’s just fine. Just like if someone has Much to say. AND THAT’S JUST FINE!
And sometimes, they may have Very Strong feelings about the topic and have a lot to say about it. AND THAT’S GOING TO BE JUST FINE TO! Some harm in that? No. Well, then mind your own business and pass on by.
You seem to lack luster and I find you just a bit hypocritical. I’ve CERTAINLY read some Long Ones from you over time when you felt like you had something to say.
Ok..
August 19th, 2023 at 2:14 pm
Another Buc QB the victim of a Ponzi type scheme? Seems like after each Super Bowl win the Football Gods wanted their pound of flesh.
August 19th, 2023 at 2:39 pm
All you Mayfield haters are insane. We are all Bucs fans first. This is a bucs fan website. To even be on this site you have to be a die hard bucs fan. To keep trashing him is crazy. He was a number 1 overall pick he has talent. It is all about timing and being somewhere that fits what you do best. He could turn out to be below average or just average. Or he could flourish in this offense. It could fit his play style perfectly. He could be an all pro this year and flourish. You. Ever know but to already be dogging him every article is insane. As Bucs fan we should all hope he balls out and has a career year. We will make the playoffs and we will have our QB of the future. But the same people calling him trash are the same people swearing their favorite college draft pick is going to be the best to ever play. Without playing a down in the league. Baker has some very good tape out there. Won a playoff game set a rookie record for touchdown passes for a rookie QB with dis functional Cleveland. Then had a couple horrible coaches that make shiano and koetter look like bellicheck. He could throw 40tds 8 interceptions and 4K yards and you guys would still be saying don’t lock him up we will make a mistake he is mediocre. Negative group on this site. Biggest reason is half of you are gator fans and thinking trask should be the QB because he had that one good year in college 4 years ago. But couldn’t beat out gabbert the following 2 to be a back up. If he was a 7th round pick he wouldn’t even had made this roster his rookie year. And probably would be out of the league.
August 19th, 2023 at 2:51 pm
Garro, for regular Joes like you and I it’s not difficult to keep track of money because we get a W2 from our employer and that’s it. Professional athletes make far more money and have very unique tax situations compared to the average person. They need specialists to lower their tax liability as much as possible and handle the taxes correctly. It’s not as if Baker has millions of dollars in his local Regions bank.
August 19th, 2023 at 2:53 pm
Its always family you trying to take care of who screws you over somehow.
August 19th, 2023 at 3:09 pm
Well, the Bucs consider him to be that. Keyword: potential. –Joe
Joe, I’ve read all of your articles and I cannot recall a quote from anyone on the coaching staff, team or ownership express that sentiment. Is already bad enough that you’re presumptuously calling him the Bucs Number 1 QB but PLEASE cut out the nauseating Mayfield franchise QB rhetoric.
August 19th, 2023 at 3:26 pm
ChiBuc Says:
August 19th, 2023 at 8:49 am
.
Have to think he kept all this from the Bucs until his time was right.
Perhaps he didn’t tell them at all thinking that because the filings were in Texas it would fly under the radar. Maybe Joe can ask Bowles if he knew about the “Mayfield Filing” beforehand and does he think it will be a distraction.
August 19th, 2023 at 3:31 pm
Amazes me that it is apparently difficult to keep tabs on what people are doing with your money.
If I were wealthy I would hire two accountants who would check on each other and I wouldn’t tell them about the other for fear they would get together and steal my money
August 19th, 2023 at 7:21 pm
@AtlBuc
You’ve got The Right Idea..
Funny you say that because I once begged my father to do that very thing. He was just SO SURE that his partner’s CPA best friend, would NEVER! That was when the first 250,000 was discovered missing. No need to get into what the exact number that was eventually discovered but it’s suffice to say it was a huge amount into millions (Boat Stores). With the addition of that second or even third CPA, WELL….. by the time that additional CPA’s were added it was way to late! If only he would have listened.
Solid Advice AtlBuc. SOLID ADVICE
August 20th, 2023 at 9:16 am
Definitely sucks when you can’t trust someone that you pay to manage your finances, doubly so when it’s family. I doubt it will be a distraction on the field though. If anything, I would think that playing ball is a distraction from his off-field problems and not vice-versa. Hopefully anyway.
As for Brady, Joe nailed that. Between his non-crypto investments and businesses, Fox contract, any endorsement he wants, etc. he’s definitely a walking ATM. I read that last year alone he made $9.4 mil on licensed apparel sales (i.e. team shirts with his name and number on them) per the NFLPA financial statements and is in line to cash in this year as well. It’s good to be king.
August 20th, 2023 at 10:24 am
Also, I’m not triggered by either Joe saying “probable starter or QB1 Mayfield” etc. “Baker Camp” vs “Trask Camp” is nonsense. Bad enough the tribalism in politics has reached a new low, does it have to enter into sports, too? I’m in the “Bucs Camp”.
The powers that be will play the best players. They see tons more than we see or read. Every snap or drill in camp. Position meetings. Isolated film to study a player or group of players from pre-season games, etc.
When coaches talk to the players they don’t get the drivel that we hear at pressers. They know far better than any fan what the players understand and what they can do.
Baker has experience and “moxie”. Cool. Play him. Put Trask in a real game(s) so we can finally see what he can do. I’ll be cool with that too.