When thinking about Baker Mayfield’s short time with the Rams that began in December 2022, the first thought that comes to mind is what he did in his debut. After joining Los Angeles on a Tuesday, he went through one walk-through practice before playing the majority of that Thursday night’s game against the Raiders. Mayfield was immediately thrust into action on short notice, orchestrating a 98-yard drive in the final two minutes of the game that was capped off with a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Van Jefferson for a 17-16 win.

If you watched football that season, that memory surely jogs your mind as one of the best feel-good stories. It also gave the now Bucs quarterback an audition for another starting quarterback job. That is why facing the Rams for the first time since being a player there offered Mayfield a chance of reflection on Wednesday afternoon, while also acknowledging the redemption he and the rest of the team can have on the road this Sunday.

Baker Mayfield Is Grateful For The Rams Stint That Led To His Career Revival

By now, everyone knows the story of Baker Mayfield and the circuitous journey that ultimately led him from the Browns to the Bucs. Along the way, Mayfield was humbled after being a former first overall pick, cast aside by Cleveland and later the Panthers.

After Carolina released him in the latter half of the 2022 season, an opportunity opened up. He was claimed by the Rams the following day, and while Los Angeles was not in the playoff race being 3-9 at the time, they were still the same well-ran organization that won the Super Bowl just the year before.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

With Matthew Stafford out for the year and Los Angeles needing a starting quarterback down the stretch, Mayfield became their guy. It was only a five-game cup of coffee that led to just a 1-3 record as a starter, but it allowed him to gracefully get back on his feet and prove there was still some good football left in him.

Standing in a completely different position on Wednesday afternoon as the Bucs’ franchise quarterback, Mayfield shared his thoughts about a stint that led to a career revival.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Scott Reynolds/PR

“There’s no way for me to sugar coat it — that was pivotal in my career and my journey,” Mayfield said. “I’ve told you guys, it helped me find the fun in football again, that joy, and just getting to learn from those guys. Obviously, it looks a lot different now that Raheem Morris is gone, Zac Robinson [is gone], Liam [Coen is gone], but Sean [McVay’s] been there the whole time so it’s — they helped me out.

“They helped me discover what offense I really want to play in and the responsibility that comes with that. A lot of accountability at the line of scrimmage to check and get to the right plays. Yeah, it was instrumental in my career, something I am forever grateful for, and it’ll be fun to go back and see familiar faces.”

What Did Baker Mayfield Learn From Matthew Stafford?

Among those familiar faces is the quarterback he replaced the rest of that 2022 season — Matthew Stafford. It was a tough year for Stafford, who like Baker Mayfield, has always been known as a tough quarterback who play through pain. Now 37 years old, he is at the top of his game running the Rams’ offense, having thrown for 2,557 yards and an eye-popping 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions.

Mayfield was asked what he appreciates about Stafford’s game, and he was quick to hold him in high regard.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford – Photo by: USA Today

“He can do everything,” Mayfield said. “He’s always been able to make every throw. As long as he was in Detroit, didn’t get a lot whole lot of credit for how really good he was and you’re seeing that now. To me, he’s always been a top three or [top] five quarterback in the league. One of the best, if not the best, pure passer ever in the history of the NFL.

“The way it comes off his hand, the way he can change his arm angles. Obviously, the no-look passes really started with him. He can do it all, makes it really tough on your defense. Got to be sound with your eyes, but he also knows how to move you and move around the pocket, too.”

Even though he did not get to watch him play in Los Angeles, Mayfield still came away with valuable learning lessons from how the veteran signal-caller carried himself as a leader.

“I think I gained an even [greater] level of respect for him about communication, about how he wanted certain routes [and] certain schemes to be done,” Mayfield said. “When you’re at that level — that year in your career, you kind of run the ship. Had a lot of respect for him before but seeing it in person on how detailed he really was and exactly what he was going to try and check to, that was big seeing it in person.”

While handing out praise and respect on Wednesday, there will be no love lost between Baker Mayfield and Matthew Stafford come Sunday night. For a Bucs team “embarrassed” by its recent efforts, now is the time for redemption. Mayfield played a better overall game in Week 11 than in previous weeks, and with him feeling better physically, everything will be laid out on the line to come out on top at SoFi Stadium.