Tampa Bay QB Baker Mayfield reveals the secret to his success with Buccaneers

The Buccaneers stepped up their preparations for the new season as training camp got underway on Tuesday. Tomorrow’s session and and Friday’s will be open to the general public - the first chance for fans to see the new-look team being put through their paces.

Baker Mayfield took a moment out of his busy schedule to chat to the Kelce brothers about his aspirations and what he expects from the team in 2025. Tampa Bay have topped the NFC South for the past four seasons but only made through the wild card round twice (losing their wild card matchup 23–20 to the Commanders last season.

Mayfield told the New Heights podcast that with a fully fit roster, the Bucs are hoping to go further this time around.

“Emeka Egbuka is the real deal“

“We have all of our starters back on offense; and we added some depth, and a lot of the guys, just of of last year, has a lot of injuries on offense - Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] both went down, so all the guys that had to play stepping up for us - we have a lot of depth,” Mayfield said. “We have everybody back that started and we have everyone back that we playing a lot for us. So, I’m excited about that. And just the new guys we added - we needed some help on defense and new faces and young guys. There’s a lot of new energy".

The Buccaneers selected WR Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State back in April and Mayfield is impressed. "Emeka Egbuka is an absolute stud, he’s the real deal,“ he told the Kelce brothers. ”Y’know how you just can’t teach guys leaving the ground to catch the ball. He’s always grounded when he catches it, keeps moving, there’s YAC potential. He’s just so dammed smart, and he’s willing to block, willing to do everything we ask him to do. We can plug and play him in any of the three wide receiver spots right now, it’s pretty exciting - and by the way, it helps when when you get all five starting lineup back“.

As for the new season, Mayfield says there is a feeling among the players that there is some unfinished business, and that if the team can remain injury-free, they can compete with the best. “Obviously the injuries didn’t help us but I feel that we’re built, and we knew we were when we’re healthy, we’re built to compete against the Eagles, the Lions, what we thought were the top contenders in the NFC, and obviously Washington came out of nowhere but we felt really, really good about our matchups so when you bring all those pieces back, the vets in the locker room - Vita [Vea], Antoine [Winfield Jr.], Lavonte [David]... some of these guys we have on defense that have been staple points for the last however many years. It’s exciting. There’s unfinished business, then Haason Reddick, he showed up - everybody made a big deal but he he showed up".

Mayfield finally finds a destination where he feels at home

Mayfield heads into his third season with Todd Bowles’ team, and spoke about why he feels so at home in Tampa Bay, where he has played the best football of his career. “This isn’t to shit on the other teams, franchises... (the Browns, Panthers and the Rams), but when you step in and your GM and your head coach say, ‘Hey, just be you’ - after I’d been told at every stop and everywhere I go: ‘Hey, you need to tone it down a little bit, you need to be a franchise quarterback...’ That’s just not who I am. I wear my emotions on my sleeve, I’m gonna talk shit, I’m gonna do whatever - but when it’s time to turn the lights on and go do something, I’m gonna do it. When I stepped into the building, they just told me to be myself.

“It’s been, not to say comfortable, but it’s felt like home since the beginning,” he added. “And as a quarterback that’s been through a little bit of a journey, you can’t ask for anything else”.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.