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Back in September 2025, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said his club's Week 3 win over the New York Jets was personal for him because then-Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks "was the one who cut me" when Mayfield was with the Carolina Panthers during the 2022 season.
For an episode of this year's version of the Netflix "Quarterback" series, Mayfield expanded on his emotions during and after the Jets game.
Baker Mayfield really wanted to beat the Jets in September 2025
"This is personal for me," Mayfield said in a huddle before the Jets game, per Grace McCarron of the New York Post. "Wilks cut me. [Expletive] him."
Wilks replaced fired Panthers head coach Matt Rhule on Oct. 10, 2022, and Wilks later decided to play P.J. Walker after Mayfield suffered a left ankle sprain. Wilks eventually demoted Mayfield to third on the Carolina depth chart, and the two sides agreed to part ways on Dec. 5, 2022.
Since that time, Mayfield has guided the Buccaneers to a pair of division titles. That said, both he and current Carolina starter Bryce Young could have different NFL homes next summer, depending on what happens from September through January 2027.
Baker Mayfield felt he wasn't Steve Wilks' "favorite" with Panthers
"[Wilks] was the defensive coordinator there, and then he was the interim head coach, which is kind of where things started to take a downward spiral in our relationship," Mayfield said about his Carolina tenure during a sit-down interview for the "Quarterback" program. "I could tell that I was not his favorite, which is fine, but the only thing you can really ask for in this business is to be upfront and honest. When I was going to be released, or inactive first, they asked me what I wanted to do, that they would grant me my release, and I was like, 'Listen, if you want me to ask for my release, I’ll say it, but if you’re going to cut me, just tell me that.'…He’s ultimately the one that made that decision, that I wasn’t gonna be active."
Mayfield's reputation for playing well when he has a chip on at least one shoulder could result in the Buccaneers keeping him in a contract year through the upcoming season. However, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated is among those who think that Tampa Bay and Mayfield's camp will "get something done before Week 1" of the 2026 campaign gets underway.
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