For those Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield fans waiting to hear what jersey number he would select, the pick is in.
Mayfield, the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, saw his once-promising Cleveland Browns career turn into chaos in 2022 playing for both the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams.
In Cleveland and Carolina, Mayfield played with jersey number 6.
In Carolina, he had to strike a deal with punter Johnny Hekker to get number 6, and Hekker took number 10.
Dating back to his Oklahoma collegiate days, he also wore number 6.
Many were surprised he did not wear number 6 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
He selected number 17 because cornerback Derion Kendrick was already wearing number 6.
Mayfield’s Bucs Number
Mayfield is going back to his old reliable number 6 in Tampa Bay.
6⃣ 🔥 @bakermayfield pic.twitter.com/phfHO9OL9z
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) April 7, 2023
This should not be a surprise given his history and affinity for the number.
He once said it was the number he got as a walk-on at Texas Tech so it is especially significant to him.
Mayfield Is Getting A Fresh Start
Given the turbulence in his career within the past year, Mayfield is aware that this opportunity in Tampa Bay is a great one.
He told Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer how important this move to Tampa Bay is for him.
“And, yeah, just looking at it from a big-picture standpoint, I want to play this game for a long time. So where’s the next spot that’s going to be the most stable position, where I can come in and compete, and do the best I can to showcase what I’m capable of?”
He added:
“This is a great opportunity to do so. Normally when a spot like this opens up, it’s because bad things have happened. But this one, it’s just because Tom [Brady] retired. So it’s a perfect opportunity for me.”
Mayfield is expected to compete for the QB1 job with Kyle Trask.
Trask was the Buccaneers’ 64th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
He has only thrown 9 NFL passes and completed 3 in his NFL career.
How the Bucs manage in the first season of the post-Tom Brady era with either Mayfield or Trask under center will be interesting to watch.
As a frame of reference, the New England Patriots have yet to find their footing.
Brady left New England after the 2019 season.
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