Baker Mayfield has credited his brief spell with the Los Angeles Rams as crucial moment in his career ahead of the 2023 season, when he'll be tasked to replace Tom Brady.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers would have had a wealth of options this off-season after Brady announced his retirement. With a solid offensive line and elite weapons at receiver, the Bucs would have been seen as the perfect landing spot for the likes of Aaron Rodgers, Lamar Jackson and Derek Carr, who were all available.
However, the Bucs decided to not pursue any of those players, instead signing Mayfield to a one-year deal after his short stint with the Rams towards the end of the season. That being despite Mayfield's dismal run in recent years a starter.
After being benched and subsequently released from the Carolina Panthers, just a few weeks after suffering the same fate with the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield was picked up by the Rams after injuries to both Matt Stafford and back-up John Wolford.
It was seen as last chance for Mayfield - to prove that he's a deserving starter in the league. And while he hardly wow'd in his time in LA, he certainly had impressive moments - including winning a game just two days after being signed.
In a recent press conference, Mayfield spoke of how important his time with the Rams was. He said: "I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. It was the first time I had fun playing football in a few years. It brought that feeling of having that success and really remembering what it was all about, Kind of hit the reset button for me."
He added: "To be around a coach like Sean McVay and a bunch of other guys… to be around those guys and to be in that offense and now looking forward to being in Tampa because it’s a very similar system with our new offensive coordinator."
That new coordinator will be a first-time playcaller, Dave Canales from the Seattle Seahawks. Former quarterback coach of Russell Wilson, Canales was credited for the resurgance of Geno Smith - who went on to win Comeback Player of the Year with a surprisingly incredible season in Seattle after replacing Wilson.
Canales will hope to have the same success with Mayfield, who has struggled mightily in the last two seasons.
Mayfield will now be on his fourth time in his five years in the NFL, after being the number one pick in the 2018 Draft, and having one of the most impressive rookie seasons in NFL history.
But he will not be given the starting role in Tampa, having to compete with Brady's former back-up Kyle Trask in training camp.
Both Mayfield and Trask had been sharing reps in practice throughout the off-season so far, with Trask speaking confidently on his future with the team.
Earlier this month, he said: "I think just with the reps you get, your brain is getting more wired every single day with the concepts and where your eyes need to be. The progress is coming along little by little every day and I’m feeling very comfortable grabbing the gist of the offense.
"It’s been such a huge leap for me, in my opinion, just to get all of the concepts down and playing with more confidence. Mistakes are going to happen – that’s part of football. It’s our job as quarterbacks to limit those mistakes and give our team the best chance to win in the end."
