John Romano: A question haunting Bucs fans: Who will keep Baker safe from himself?

John Romano, Tampa Bay Times on Sep 16, 2025

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — Looking back, it’s hard to identify the precise moment your stomach turned queasy.

It could have been when Baker Mayfield was somersaulting through the air Monday night after having his legs taken out. Or when Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter sacked him and Mayfield’s left knee bent in a direction that defied human anatomy. Or when he grabbed his ankle after rolling over awkwardly following a 16-yard scramble.

It could have been any one of those moments when the realizations arrived one after another:

Oh!

Followed by:

Crap!

Mayfield cannot continue on this trajectory. Not if he wants to still be upright in January. And not if the Bucs have visions of playing deep into the NFL postseason.

There’s always been a bit of a daredevil quality to the way Mayfield plays. A swagger reminiscent of quarterbacks of old. It’s why fans and teammates adore him but also why you tend to develop nervous tics while watching him throw his body around.

Head coach Todd Bowles did not seem overly concerned Tuesday that Mayfield plays quarterback like a stunt man.

“My level of concern is fine,” Bowles said. “Baker runs when he has to. He doesn’t run just to run, he runs when he has to. He runs when he sees something there and we’re comfortable with that.

“We try to work on sliding here and there, but sometimes you don’t know if you’ve got the first down or not. He’s been playing that way his entire life. We’d like him to be careful, but we’re comfortable with him getting out of the pocket.”

To be fair, Mayfield has been incredibly durable during his eight years in the NFL. In 2021, he suffered a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder while trying to make a tackle after an interception. He continued playing with the injury — later suffering a fractured bone in the same shoulder — and his performance declined noticeably. That season led to his departure from Cleveland the following spring.

The Bucs cannot afford anything like that happening in 2025.

There’s too much talent on the team and too much invested in Mayfield to take a chance of ruining the season in the pursuit of one more first-down scramble. It would be different, as Bowles said, if Mayfield picked his spots when risking his body.

But Mayfield doesn’t seem to play with hospital beds and anesthesia in mind. He extends plays whenever he can. He goes for the extra yard rather than sliding to avoid contact. He seems to enjoy the back-and-forth with defenders trying to annihilate him.

Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard did what he could to keep Mayfield out of harm’s way once right tackle Luke Goedeke left the game. The Bucs began running the ball more, and 10 of Mayfield’s next 11 pass attempts were thrown within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.

Even so, Mayfield was sacked four times and hurried six other times.

You could say he’s accustomed to playing that way, and that’s true. The only quarterback with more sacks than Mayfield’s 255 since 2018 is Russell Wilson. And maybe that should be a cautionary tale.

Wilson, like Mayfield, is smallish for a quarterback. And while he has a Super Bowl ring and 10 Pro Bowls on his resume, his career took a sharp downward turn in his early 30s. Age creeps up on players. Aches and pains begin to accumulate.

Mayfield is not there yet, but he can probably smell the Bengay in the distance.

“I’m sure he’s sore,” Bowles said. “Baker is a competitor.”

The Bucs have employed two of this generation’s greatest competitors at quarterback in recent years. Both were consumed with winning but it manifests itself in different ways.

Tom Brady was fanatical about getting rid of the ball quickly because he wanted to avoid injuries and stay on the field. Mayfield plays more like a sixth-grader who believes he is immune to harm.

It’s a difficult line for the Bucs to walk. Part of what makes Mayfield special is his aggressive and bold approach to the game. So the coaches do not want to nag that quality out of him. Those lessons might be better learned from a Mike Evans or a Lavonte David, who have managed to remain remarkably healthy throughout long NFL careers.

Tampa Bay is already dealing with a rash of injuries on offense. Receivers Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan have yet to play in the regular season. Nor has left tackle Tristan Wirfs, and Goedeke’s availability is now in doubt.

No doubt those absences have been felt, but they are nothing compared to losing a quarterback.

You love the fire in Mayfield’s belly and the fearlessness in his heart. You love the way he is willing to do whatever necessary to make plays. You love the linebacker’s mentality in the quarterback’s jersey.

But do you know Mayfield’s most important quality?

The fact he is ready to go every Sunday.

The Bucs better hope that doesn’t change.

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