Everyone loves a comeback story, and it is difficult to find one in the NFL more inspiring than that of Baker Mayfield and his resurgence with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Selected number one overall by Cleveland in 2018, initial success with the Browns faded into disappointment followed by a brief and uninspiring stint in Carolina and a short stay with the Rams.
But Tampa saw something in Mayfield and brought him in to replace the retired Tom Brady.
The dividends were immediately apparent, and the team rewarded the quarterback financially this offseason.
One Buccaneer, rising defensive end star Calijah Kancey, expressed his support and admiration for his team’s quarterback in a recent interview.
Kancey told Jim Rome, “Baker is a guy you would wanna run through a wall for.”
He explained that Mayfield is a player who leaves it on the line and further described him as “very competitive” and a “great guy overall.”
“Baker is a guy you would wanna run through a wall for.” @Ckancey8 on Bucs QB Baker Mayfield. pic.twitter.com/tEcTY5DvgX
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) July 2, 2024
Kancey noted that Mayfield is one of the players who gives back to the community.
He also led the team to its third consecutive NFC South crown last year and engineered a beatdown of Philadelphia in the playoffs.
Mayfield has always been a fiery competitor, and the knock on him coming out of Oklahoma was that he was immature and unable to channel that competitiveness.
But his 2023 performance convinced doubters that this is a new and improved version of the quarterback, as he threw for 28 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards.
As is evident from listening to his teammates and the front office, he more importantly won their respect as a leader.
