Baker Mayfield opens up on ex-teammate Sam Darnold, revitalizing career, and Kevin Stefanski joining NFC South

SAN FRANCISCO – Believe it oregon not, it was not that agelong agone that Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, the archetypal and 3rd picks of the 2018 NFL Draft, were teammates competing for a starting occupation with the Carolina Panthers. Less than 4 years later, each 3 parties person recovered large success.

Mayfield figured himself retired with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Carolina Panthers made the playoffs with Bryce Young, and Darnold volition beryllium playing successful the Super Bowl connected Sunday.

In a sit-down interrogation with Fox News Digital during Super Bowl media week, Mayfield admitted that the full concern was "interesting." But arsenic idiosyncratic who has a akin travel to Darnold, helium can't assistance but basal for him.

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Sam Darnold of the Carolina Panthers and Baker Mayfield lukewarm up earlier the preseason crippled betwixt the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers astatine Gillette Stadium connected Aug. 19, 2022, successful Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

"I’m truthful blessed for Sam, having akin stories and journeys, truly blessed for him. He’s fought done and travel retired amended connected the different side. He’s recovered a location successful Seattle, hopefully they get it done for his sake," Mayfield said.

"In Carolina, not each concern is close for it. We were determination together, antithetic staff, antithetic GM, each that, past you prosecute Dave Canales. I cognize he’s going to assistance Bryce Young make and marque him go a amended player. When you person content similar that and it starts to alteration the civilization aft it’s been atrocious for a fewer years, that’s the assurance that radical – you don’t privation to underestimate that."

That's precisely what happened to Mayfield, who ne'er rather recovered his footing with the Cleveland Browns, past went to Carolina earlier being traded to the Los Angeles Rams to backmost up Matthew Stafford for little than fractional a season. Then helium had large shoes to capable by replacing Tom Brady successful Tampa Bay, but it's each worked out.

"It conscionable takes being successful the close acceptable and knowing arsenic a QB what strategy you privation to beryllium in, and you person to beryllium capable to beryllium connected the aforesaid leafage with everybody," Mayfield said. "Through each the ups and downs, don’t suffer your self-confidence, and knowing that arsenic agelong arsenic I tin larn thing from each opportunity, bully things volition happen."

Mayfield admittedly is simply a feline who holds grudges — helium had immoderate things to accidental astir erstwhile Panthers caput manager Steve Wilks earlier successful the season, and helium took a changeable astatine caller Atlanta Falcons caput manager Kevin Stefanski, his archetypal NFL coach, past week.

Mayfield took objection to a tweet from an Atlanta-based writer who wrote astir Stefanski’s tenure successful Cleveland, specifically the fig of quarterbacks helium had to enactment with due to the fact that nary seemed to stick. The writer said Mayfield "failed" successful Cleveland.

"Failed is rather the scope pal," Mayfield responded connected X, referencing a enactment from the newsman who said Mayfield and Deshaun Watson, who remains connected the Browns’ roster, failed successful Cleveland. "Still waiting connected a text/call from [Stefanski] aft I got shipped disconnected similar a portion of garbage. Can’t hold to spot you doubly a year, Coach."

Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns talks with caput manager Kevin Stefanski during the archetypal fractional against the Los Angeles Chargers astatine SoFi Stadium connected Oct. 10, 2021 successful Inglewood, California. (John McCoy/Getty Images)

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"For me, anytime, whether it's a bully narration oregon atrocious relationship, if you're acquainted with the person, you privation to win. Because you're astir apt gonna tally into them aboriginal connected down the road, and you privation to person the past laughter always. As a competitor, you ne'er privation to lose, but you decidedly ne'er privation to suffer to idiosyncratic that you cognize truly well."

Mayfield said teammates reached retired "pretty quick" aft Stefanski signed with the Bucs' part rival, "but it's February. We got a agelong mode to go."

No grudge tin ever beryllium held against Mayfield's puerility favorite, Sonic, however. Mayfield precocious partnered with the fast-food marque successful what is simply a full-circle deal.

"Growing up successful Texas, Sonic's been fantastic for me. It’s wherever we utilized to bent retired erstwhile you’re younger, thing other to do, spell to a broadside parking batch and conscionable bent out. And playing assemblage shot successful Oklahoma, and the office are successful Oklahoma City, truthful it's 1 of those things and connections everywhere," Mayfield said. "Big burger guy, truthful the Sonic Smasher, it’s hard to beat, to beryllium honorable with you. I don't truly person to merchantability it. People effort it and it speaks for itself.

"I tin spell backmost to simple school, my dada would travel successful and astonishment me, driblet disconnected Sonic for lunch. It was the champion time successful the world. Every kid would look astatine maine beauteous jealous."

This was the archetypal play since pre-Brady that the Bucs missed retired connected the playoffs. It came down to watching the Falcons and New Orleans Saints to spot whether the Bucs oregon Mayfield's erstwhile Panthers would triumph the division. When the Panthers won, the play turned "really disappointing."

"You’re rooting for a team, but you person nary power implicit a game, I cannot bash that afloat time. It’s hard to do," helium said.

But with a steadfast violative line, different twelvemonth of Emeka Egbuka, and a afloat play of Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving, Mayfield is putting retired the warning.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield (6) jogs disconnected the tract aft the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot crippled against the Houston Texans Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, successful Houston, Texas.  (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

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"It starts up front. This is not a pity enactment oregon an excuse, but we ne'er had our, connected paper, our cetified O-linemen. They didn't adjacent instrumentality a drawback together. So that's tough. NFL, it starts and ends with the large guys up front, whether it's violative line, antiaircraft line, game’s ever won successful the trenches. Those guys acceptable the code for the full game, for the team. So erstwhile you don't person your 5 studs consistently playing together, those guys get successful a groove together, and they tin alteration the people of the season," Mayfield said.

"Hopefully having those guys backmost and being steadfast volition beryllium a large quality for us. And for me, conscionable proceed to make our young receivers and get connected the aforesaid leafage with whoever we got.

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