Bruce Arians has never shied away from being the most brutally honest guy in the room. That was especially true when he still wore a headset on the sideline, but the 73-year-old former Bucs head coach continues to speak his mind in retirement.

Arians calls it like he sees it, and he did just that when discussing Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield during a Monday appearance on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams.

Mayfield, on the heels of signing a three-year, $165 extension with the Bucs before the season, has had a dreadful start to the 2026 campaign. He turned the ball over three times in the Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He and the offense were uninspiring in the Week 2 defeat to the Cleveland Browns, which picked him off once.

Then came Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, where Mayfield and the offense struggled yet again in a 23-16 loss. The Bucs found the end zone just once, Mayfield was sacked six times and on top of that, suffered a dislocated thumb in his throwing hand late in the fourth quarter while trying to make a Houdini type play on a fourth-and-13 with Tampa Bay trailing, 20-16. The end result was his second interception of the season and a wounded throwing hand.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images via Reuters Connect

On that particular play where Mayfield got injured, he actually had solid protection before he decided to scramble around and eventually drift backwards about 20 yards from the line of scrimmage. Multiple Minnesota defenders chased after him and eventually, he was forced to throw a prayer as he took a big hit. Mayfield’s pass was intercepted. He was looking to make a play at a time where the Bucs desperately needed one. Arians, however, would have liked to have seen Mayfield do something different.

“Not making the plays that were there. There are times when they’re there and they’re not making them,” Arians said. “The offensive line is one of the best in the league, and he’s got to quit doing this (video shows the fourth down interception in the fourth quarter). Just throw the damn ball away. That’s not his nature, I know, but this is how he always gets hurt. I haven’t had that conversation with him personally, but we need you on the field.”

Bucs Forced To Move Forward Without Baker Mayfield

At the time, the Bucs did have all three of their timeouts remaining with just under two minutes to go in the game. Theoretically, if Mayfield simply threw it away instead of taking a hit that left him injured, Tampa Bay could have gotten the ball back with some time remaining to go down the field to tie the game, provided the defense got off the field in a quick manner. The Bucs defense did allow a first down run on the very first play of the drive before making three consecutive stops to force a 43-yard field goal attempt from Will Reichard.

But in the heat of the battle, with no guarantee he would touch the ball again, Mayfield had to at least attempt to create something magical. It’s hard to blame him for that, even if there are other examples where learning to let a play die would apply. It didn’t there and unfortunately for him, he paid a price for it.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

At this stage in his career, Mayfield isn’t going to suddenly change who he is. One of his best qualities as a quarterback is his ability to extend plays and play the role of a magician. With that, though, comes moments of reckless play that has hurt this Bucs team.

“It’s a very fine line because you can’t break who they are,” Arians said. “In my comments last year about Jaxson Dart and J.J. McCarthy – we need you on the field. We don’t need Superman. All the guys in the locker room know you’re tough. You don’t have to prove to anybody you’re tough. But we need to play smart, not scared.”

Mayfield dealt with several injuries in 2025, though none required him to miss time. His latest injury is a different story, as he will sit for a minimum of three games, head coach Todd Bowles announced Monday.

Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels will get the keys to the offense starting next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Mayfield will remain absent for Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers barring a quick recovery.