Sunday's matchup between the Bucs and Seahawks will be a battle of two 3-1 teams who each look like playoff-caliber squads. Outside of the organizations that have a similar philosophy of player development and defensive identity, there is another parallel that is just as strikingly similar.

Tampa Bay and Seattle have found their respective answers at quarterback with former Carolina castoffs, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.

Since those dysfunctional days in 2022, Mayfield and Darnold have put themselves back on the map as franchise quarterbacks after bouncing around. Talking with the media on Wednesday, Mayfield shared just how happy he is for the quarterback on the other side of things this week, but he also will not be looking back on their days together in the happiest light.

Baker Mayfield And Sam Darnold Are Revived Franchise Quarterbacks

If you don't know by now, Baker Mayfield has been on quite the circuitous journey to land as the Bucs' franchise quarterback.

What started as a one-year prove-it deal in 2023 turned into a three-year, $100 million commitment in the 2024 season, with the expectation being that Mayfield is the answer under center in Tampa Bay for the rest of the decade as the team's resilient leader.

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

On the other side of things this Sunday, Sam Darnold is very much in the same boat. Mayfield and Darnold's paths crossed during an unfortunate 2022 season for them career-wise. As the first and third overall picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, each found themselves traded to the Panthers. Darnold landed in Carolina in 2021, while Mayfield joined the team in 2022.

They spent that summer fighting for the starting job, with Mayfield starting the first five games that year before the keys were handed off to P.J. Walker for five games, before Darnold closed out the year as the starter. By the time that happened, No. 6 was packing his bags and heading out of town.

Neither one had a memorable stint with that team, but it would not mark the end for either of them, although career revivals appeared unlikely back then.

Seahawks QB Sam Darnold – Photo by: USA Today

Mayfield went on to sign with the Bucs, and the rest is history, but Darnold had to bide his time as a backup with the 49ers before signing with the Vikings. A one-year, $10 million deal turned out to be a bargain, as he made the most of his chances in Minnesota last season starting all 17 games after first-round pick J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. That opened the door for him to parlay that into a very similar three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seahawks last offseason.

Now they find themselves crossing paths again, this time with stability.

Mayfield was happy to discuss his relationship with Darnold as he reflected on their time as teammates.

"Sam and I are really close," Mayfield said. "I'm just happy for him. From going to a couple of different places that weren't great for us to having a good opportunity elsewhere, it's fun to see. I knew he just needed that opportunity, another chance. He's thriving now, it's good to see, but hopefully not this weekend."

Just do not expect those two to reminisce about the "good ol' days" in Carolina.

"Reminisce about what days?" Mayfield joked with a reporter. "Oh, nope. No, we don't."

Back then, they were just trying to survive with a team that fired head coach Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start and had interim head coach Steve Wilks running the show. Mayfield and Wilks recently gained national attention for their comments toward one another for how things went there.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and Seahawks QB Sam Darnold – Photo by: USA Today

"That whole QB room, with P.J. Walker, Sam, and me, it was fun," Mayfield said looking back. "Guys who have played ball and just knew we needed each other in that room just to bounce things off of. Have normal conversations, football conversations, and grow and learn together."

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles has a unique point of view from his seat. As someone who coached Darnold as a rookie with the Jets in 2018 before teaming up with Mayfield in 2023, Bowles sees the parallels of how their NFL careers have gone.

"I think both of them have grown," Bowles said. "They came out in the same draft class two picks apart, one at No. 1, one at No. 3. To have some success, a little bit of success early, and then go through the teams they both went through, there are some similarities there. I think Sam has had success where he's been, and Baker's definitely had success here. From that standpoint, you can see it, yes."

While each of their stories have turned out to have better second chapters, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs want to close the book – at least for one week – when they face Sam Darnold and the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday.