As the Bucs head into the 2024 season this is the second time that quarterback Baker Mayfield and offensive coordinator Liam Coen have the chance to work together. The first was for a month in December during the 2022 season when they were both with the Los Angeles Rams. This time around in Tampa Bay, they’ll work together for an entire season – and beyond.

In 2022, Coen had been established with the Rams as Sean McVay’s offensive assistant and Mayfield was the new guy coming in off waivers towards the end of the season to be an emergency starter down the stretch. Now it’s Mayfield who’s at the top of the depth chart and Coen is in charge of the entire offense and calling the plays. Every Bucs offensive player will be adjusting to Coen’s offensive scheme except for Mayfield, who got a sneak peek at it while with the Rams for five weeks and he can help teach it to his teammates.

Bucs offensive assistant Tom Moore and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Baker Mayfield And Liam Coen – Round 2

Baker Mayfield has grown as a leader during his time in Tampa. He won over his teammates early last year while winning the starting quarterback job and will continue to put the Bucs in the right direction going into year two with his team. Liam Coen has seen firsthand how Mayfield has changed since becoming the established quarterback and leader, and the security that comes with a three-year, $100 million contract.

“Just a calm confidence,” Coen said. “The atmosphere we want to be able to establish in the meeting rooms is one of the players being the drivers of it. Yes, we are installing and teaching a new offense, but he knows a lot of these things already. He’s heard them, he’s repped them.

“Him just taking it over, he has done a great job in the meeting room setting of talking to some of the guys, ‘Hey man, make sure you’re here.’ That’s what we’re trying to establish. The confidence of throwing the football I think has been impressive thus far. We haven’t had a ton of balls hit the ground and he’s throwing it with a lot of confidence right now.”

Thad Lewis Works Calls Baker Mayfield “Confident And Comfortable”

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

There was quite an overhaul of the offensive coaches this offseason with the departure of offensive coordinator Dave Canales to Carolina where he became the head coach. Offensive line coaches Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert joined the Panthers, as did receivers coach Brad Idzik, who became the offensive coordinator – although Canales will call the plays.

But one main Bucs offensive assistant that stayed in Tampa Bay is quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis. Lewis was along for the ride last season as Baker Mayfield revived his career. He shared his perspective on what Mayfield has meant to the Bucs over the past year of working with him, and Mayfield’s increased confidence coming off a 4,000-yard passing season with 28 touchdowns that led to a Pro Bowl berth.

“He has the contract so the guys know it’s his team, he knows it’s his team,” Lewis said of Mayfield. “He’s confident and comfortable because he’s been in this scheme before he came here and they had some similarities, so he’s not thinking. I think the chip on his shoulder can not completely fall off, but he can be at ease a little bit. And I think that’ll never go away because of how he was brought up and I think that’s his motivating factor.

“But at the same time he’s confident, comfortable – you can tell he’s getting guys communicating. He’s demanding it from the guys and himself so you can kind of see that it’s not a learning curve right now it’s more of lets grow as a team and as a unit for sure.”

Baker Mayfield Is A Competitor, Fun To Be Around

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

New Tampa Bay passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard is still getting to know Baker Mayfield and he shared the experience of working with him so far this offseason.

“I see what you’d expect to see from him from afar now finally being able to be around him,” Grizzard said. “Just a competitor, loves the game, keeps it light, good worker, always cutting up and keeping everybody on the same page. He’s been fun to be around.”

Mayfield has notoriously built a reputation for trash talking on the practice field, on game days and occasionally in press conferences. The 29-year old quarterback is constantly busting people’s chops, and that goes for the coaches, too. Grizzard seems to enjoy the back-and-forth exchanges with his signal caller.

“That’s not going to stop,” Grizzard said. “Keep doing it. It’s good. Just creates competition for everybody, keeps it light. Go out there and work, and go out there to have fun and get better at the same time. He’s the epitome of that.”