Baker Mayfield Isn’t Concerned About Browns’ QB Situation Ahead of Week 2 Showdown

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Baker Mayfield Isn’t Concerned About Browns’ QB Situation Ahead of Week 2 Showdown

Heena Singh

Fri, September 4, 2026 at 9:58 PM UTC ·

3 min read

Baker Mayfield Sends A Clear Message To Cleveland Browns

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield, NFL

Jan 3, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Mayfield made that clear during hi s appearance on the Rich Eisen Show this week, when the topic of Cleveland's quarterback situation came up. The Browns have spent much of the offseason sorting through their own QB questions, with Deshaun Watson ultimately taking the starting job over rookie Shedeur Sanders. Mayfield, however, says he has no interest in getting caught up in what the Browns are doing at the position.

"Honestly, it's just about winning. I couldn't care less about what's going on with the quarterback situation in their building. It's just about beating them and letting them know that I've found a home."

The Buccaneers QB sees the game differently. It's personal for Mayfield. He wishes to prove himself right by beating the Browns and showing them that he now belongs to the Buccaneers.

And that is a very important detail here. Mayfield's departure from the Browns in 2022 was rather controversial. There were four seasons of play in Cleveland, including a postseason appearance and the franchise's first postseason victory in 26 years. The Browns went on to Watson, while Mayfield found himself at the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, and finally ended up at the Buccaneers.

But with the Buccaneers, Mayfield got a second chance to build his career anew. He made two Pro Bowls while playing in Tampa Bay and helped the team to two NFC South championships. Last season, Mayfield threw for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions for an 8-9 Tampa Bay.

As you see, now he enters the final season of his three-year, $100 million contract, when talks on the extension stopped. And Mayfield has already let people know that he is willing to take a shot this year.

So there is one more thing about the Browns-Buccaneers matchup to consider. Not only is he attempting to beat his former team. The veteran also plays in an attempt to earn himself another deal and demonstrate that Tampa Bay is truly where his career turned for the better.

On the other hand, the Browns continue to face the problems related to the position of QB since Mayfield has left the team. Since the moment when Watson joined the Browns in 2022, he has played only 19 games due to two surgeries on his right Achilles.

However, the 31-year-old seems to have n o interest in criticizing anything from the outside. He has his chance to solve all those questions on the field on September 20 when Tampa Bay hosts Cleveland.

Baker Mayfield Sends A Clear Message To Cleveland Browns

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