Baker Mayfield: Kyle Trask Made Locker Room Dynamics “Tricky”
July 15th, 2024
“Stay in your lane, Kyle.”
Setting a teamwide tone last season was a work in progress for Baker Mayfield, he said this week.
Todd Bowles didn’t hand him the starting job and that meant leading the way Mayfield wanted to couldn’t happen right away.
“It’s tricky ’cause like the whole offseason and throughout most of camp I was still in a battle with Kyle Trask to get the starting job,” Mayfield told the Pardon My Take podcast. “And I think a lot of the guys knew what I was capable of, but they also didn’t know what version they were going to get of me. And the version they got was the one that truly didn’t give a sh*t.
“I had nothing to lose at that point. I’m either going to be a backup for the rest of my career or I’m going to revive this thing. So it was like, ‘This is the sparkplug I needed. Game 1 when I’m the starter. Let’s set the tone, a third-down run or something that we needed on the line, like let’s set the tone for the rest of the year, like what type of locker room we’re going to have.'”
Now Mayfield has a fat contract, the starting job guaranteed and a year under his belt leading most of the same men.
As Mayfield told The Mike Calta Show earlier this week, he’s so looking forward to building greater chemistry with receivers and teammates this season. Last year, the Bucs short-circuited that early by not handing Mayfield a job he was going to win anyway.
That doesn’t mean the Bucs would have been better if Mayfield was named “the guy” from Day 1, but it’s possible it could have led to another win in the regular season.
July 15th, 2024 at 6:06 pm
Competition is never a bad thing. Sounds like Trask pushed Baker to be better.
Do it again.
July 15th, 2024 at 6:22 pm
🔥 t b
July 15th, 2024 at 6:31 pm
Cue macmidget, Chitea and the rest of the easily offended Trashk Conspiracy Club to blubber and slobber about more unsubstantiated nonsense concerning their favorite fantasy boy.
Baker is The Man. Can’t say the same for those in The Club.
July 15th, 2024 at 6:37 pm
Sounds like Baker excelled because like he said he had nothing to lose. That whole interview IMO came down to … ‘they also didn’t know what version they were going to get of me. And the version they got was the one that truly didn’t give a sh*t.’
In a way, that’s kinda concerning. The first part of his assessment of himself from the beginning of last season seems to imply that he sees TWO versions of Baker Mayfield. The good Baker & the bad Baker? What if he starts ‘giving a sh*t’ and goes conservative? Will that lead to the ‘bad Baker’? Sure hope not.
July 15th, 2024 at 6:39 pm
Baker plays to win.
July 15th, 2024 at 6:44 pm
I just hope Todd is watching some Kiffen defense and Derrick Brooks tape. That group never need a QB much at all. 🙂
July 15th, 2024 at 6:52 pm
Right on, Crickett. Or go way back to 1979 Bucs 3-4.
July 15th, 2024 at 7:39 pm
Dave, and Cricket, did you have a problem with Bowles defense when his defense destroyed the Chiefs in the SB? How about last season when Baker only put up 9 points, and we still beat Carolina for the division? Yeah Todd sucks, he’s got to go.
July 15th, 2024 at 7:58 pm
I wonder what version we will get this season. He now has something to lose, and the last time he had it, he lost it.
I hope he learned a lot about himself last season and we get some good miles from him.
July 15th, 2024 at 8:07 pm
Read the SI article on Mayfield, and his biggest regret from his time in Cleveland.
Check it out, and be glad that he is who he is because that’s how he got here.
I predict a season worthy of MVP conversation
July 15th, 2024 at 8:30 pm
A season worthy of MVP conversation – I like the sound of that.
July 15th, 2024 at 9:54 pm
I still do One single second that task had a shot. Nothing but a back up because he’s on a rookie contract.
I initially had high hopes for him, but when he was never even activated the first year, that told me all I needed to know
July 15th, 2024 at 10:02 pm
“they also didn’t know what version they were going to get of me. And the version they got was the one that truly didn’t give a sh*t. I had nothing to lose…” – Baker
New dad, fat contract, clear #1… uh-oh. Joe, I’m starting to see the value in your blitz of negative Baker news
July 16th, 2024 at 12:09 am
The 29th ranked pass defense that gave up yards like free cookies at recess and caved against a rookie in 45 seconds, the league’s worst QB twice with the second time a mere 3 yards short of Todd’s pink slip, the Colts fiasco, and were it not for Winfield being Superman, Bucs lose to the Panthies.
Todd’s defense is nowhere close to the real Bucs defenses under Monte and McKay.
July 16th, 2024 at 1:47 am
@SlyPirate,
I’m pretty sure Baker’s travels to get here was more than enough impetus for him to perform. If a QB needs a backup to light a fire, that’s a mediocre QB at best.
I think Baker realized this was going to be one of his last shots at living up to his draft potential. If I’m Baker, Kyle was more nuisance than helpful when you’re a confident QB like Baker is.
July 16th, 2024 at 4:27 am
And now we have General Barton!
Instead of the Marshmallow Man. (Hainsey)
July 16th, 2024 at 4:36 am
Baker is not only a good QB, but a real nice guy. It sounds to me that he was trying to pump Kyle up with confidence by implying he was strong competition. Baker is a team kind of guy and it’s working.
Kyle has been a backup making millions. Not a bad gig while learning from Baker, Tom Brady. I like Kyle, however if he was that good, numerous teams would have been reaching out including the Panthers that Canales went to.
Coen has ties with Wolford at the Rams so this will be interesting to see what happens. Maybe Trask and Wolford are actually competing for the number 2 QB position?
July 16th, 2024 at 8:57 am
thats called grit
July 16th, 2024 at 9:14 am
This week Baker also admitted he should have shut himself down in Cleveland, gotten surgery, and sat the year. I don,t think Bakes will make the same mistake. Trask will play some this season. If Coen opens it up like we all hope there will be some blowouts and Trask can mop up. If injured Baker will sit.
July 16th, 2024 at 9:17 am
Good analysis Paul Mcartney. Trask just aint that good and GM,s\coaches on other teams know that including Canales.
July 16th, 2024 at 1:07 pm
Yeah, he’s not only inconsistent on the field, which btw, is a big deal, He’s even inconsistent in his own mind. There is not a reality in which an inconsistent QB is a good thing. Let’s hope he doesn’t get in his own way to often.
July 16th, 2024 at 2:00 pm
What Baker was saying is that with his past play, good and bad, his new mates didn’t know anything about him or who he was, only what they had heard or read. Baker is right about that, he’s not second guessing himself, he’s just stating a fact from what he saw from his team mates. He’s also right about not giving a d–n, that’s about what anyone thought about him, he was out to prove himself and what he was about, shows that with the comment about running for the first down at Minnesota, eh. I think this will be a good year cause the team knows what they have in each other, with the players they added and the new OC.
July 16th, 2024 at 3:58 pm
Only a dipstick would think that Trask ever pushed Mayfield. Clearly you haven’t watched him thru the years or understood his story. At OU when he had to sit out his first year, he was scout team QB and regularly pushed and beat the first team defense.
That’s what kind of competitor he is …..no one was there except team mates and coaches and a few fans and he was delivering then too
July 16th, 2024 at 4:58 pm
Who cares can we get rid of Trash already he’s a waste of time and might have a chance in the xfl let him go
July 16th, 2024 at 5:18 pm
Hey David, “But when he was never even activated the first year, that told me all I needed to know”? Who was our starter and who was the GOAT’s hand-picked “Veteran QB” Backup?
Do you know why he never got activated? Because he had two NFL Veteran QB’s ahead of him, with the starter being none other than the “GOAT”. I am a Bulldogs fan. And I still have hope for Trask. If you do not, what “do you know” will happen if Baker gets an injury??? Will we cancel the rest of the season? Will we put in our third or practice squad QB? Because “ew” “know”!!
What BS!!!
July 16th, 2024 at 10:01 pm
It was a tough start last season, I’m glad Baker will not have that distraction next season. I hope Baker starts every game because I think he gives us the best chance to win every week – but if he is ever needed – I hope Kyle Trask is ready.
This TEAM has to be great, that’s how we’re built, everyone has to do be at their best, the best have to be in the field. We have a solid roster, not spectacular, that means we need every one pushing each other and for the best players to be on the field.
Looking forward to a complete and solid offense this year, as well as a superior level of play from this defense.
Let’s Bake!
July 20th, 2024 at 8:36 am
TRASK was better than Baker in training camp last year that’s a proven fact and I’m not going to act like what happened in training camp didn’t happen. Baker was named the starter the moment he was snig last year and they tried to sale us Baker by having a fake competition. Things didn’t go they way thought and even me believe was going to happen. I really believe that Baker was going to easily beat Trask out because of his experience but he didn’t so they had to gifted Baker the staring job. That’s why no one in has confirmed that Baker was better not even the GM or the coaches. But Baker is the quarterback so we have to root for him. But at the same time you people need to stop acting like Baker earned the staring roll . And David you don’t have go alone to get alone with these people on here. You were the main one who was saying Trask was better in training camp last year and that’s ok bro because it was the truth. Now I understand how you feel now because I feel the same way Baker is our staring quarterback and we have to root for him. But you don’t have to put on blinders for the team or players to be a real bucs fan. It’s a lot of Baker fans in here and they are only here because of Baker Mayfield. I will always call like I see it because it ain’t that deep for me it’s just a freaking football game. When Baker played good I gave him his credit when he played bad I said he played bad and I don’t care how no body feel about it. I can’t wait until the season starts and we are only a few weeks away.