Baker Mayfield Breaks Down Eagles-Bucs Matchup, His NFL Journey, Fatherhood

Quarterback Baker Mayfield sat down with FOX Sports’ Erin Andrews ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). The wide-ranging discussion included the 2025 NFL season, how his personality has evolved over the years and fatherhood.

When asked to describe his career with the Bucs, Mayfield said one word came to mind: resilient. 

“There’s no better feeling than being surrounded by a group that you trust wholeheartedly on the field, off the field,” he said. “Whether it’s players [or] staff, having that trust with everybody is invaluable.”

Tampa Bay is off to its first 3-0 start in 20 years and hopes to keep the winning streak alive against Philly, which is also undefeated headed into Week 4. So far this season, Mayfield has thrown for 615 yards, six touchdowns (tied for the fifth-most among QBs) and no interceptions.

“It starts up front,” Mayfield said when asked what makes this matchup different. “How well can we execute? How quickly can I get the ball out of my hands? How long can we keep that defense on the field, make them tired? 

“We’ve done it before, but it’s not just gonna happen because we’ve done it before. They know what happened … [and] they’re gonna come in here angry. So we’ve got to be able to weather the storm — whatever it looks like.”

Last season, the Buccaneers easily beat the Eagles by double digits, 33-16, at Raymond James Stadium in Week 4. In that game, Mayfield threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing for another score.

“I’m having fun playing football [again],” Mayfield said when asked about how his view of football has evolved. “The thing I’m always gonna be proud of is [that] I don’t have it all figured out, so … when I’m doing interviews or handling questions, I can just give you a raw answer. … It doesn’t have to be the perfect answer, but it’s mine.”

The seven-year NFL veteran has settled in with the Bucs after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns, who selected Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He then bounced between two teams, the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, in 2022 before joining the Buccaneers in early 2023 to compete to become the successor to Tom Brady, who retired after the 2022 season.

Mayfield won the starting job, and the rest is history, leading the Bucs to winning records (9-8 and 10-7, respectively), first place in the NFC South and a playoff berth his first two years at the helm.

The 30-year-old is aiming to get Tampa Bay, which is just five years removed from winning a Super Bowl, back to the top of the mountain. However, he’s dealing with something just as challenging off the field — being a first-time dad.

Mayfield and his wife, Emily, welcomed their first child, Kova Jade, in April 2024 five years after tying the knot. Now almost 18 months, “Koko” is now a regular at her father’s football games.

“So surreal watching her run around in a jersey,” he said. “Mommy picked out the outfit. Got her dressed to the nines. We’re gonna have our hands full. … We’re in the thick of it, but it’s also the most fun part.”