Tonight is Baker Mayfield’s first time returning to a place where he resurrected his career.
In late 2022, with Matthew Stafford injured, the Rams signed Mayfield after he was cut by the Carolina Panthers and seemingly was on the verge of being labeled a bust as a former No. 1 overall pick. Mayfield joined the team on Tuesday of a short week with L.A. set to play the Raiders on “Thursday Night Football,” and despite only one short practice with his new team under his belt, he led a dramatic 98-yard game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.
That game, and the rest of his month-long stint with the Rams, altered the course of Mayfield’s career. He was inconsistent but showed enough promise that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to take a chance on him after Tom Brady retired during the offseason. The rest is history. Mayfield now leads a playoff-contending Bucs squad into Los Angeles, firmly entrenched as Tampa Bay’s franchise quarterback.