Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 16

Baker Mayfield Wears Michigan Tank Top After 17-10 Bet Loss as $165 Million Pressure Builds

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 16

Baker Mayfield Wears Michigan Tank Top After 17-10 Bet Loss as $165 Million Pressure Builds

Q: Can Baker Mayfield's lighthearted locker room antics mask the immense pressure of a disastrous opener before facing his former team?

No. Baker Mayfield’s Michigan tank-top joke can ease tension in the room, but it cannot hide the pressure created by his opener or the stakes of Sunday’s game. The facts are stark. In Tampa Bay’s 33-27 loss to Cincinnati, Mayfield lost three fumbles, failed to throw a touchdown pass, and directly contributed to the Bengals turning turnovers into points. He publicly owned it, saying the loss was on him, and Todd Bowles made clear ball security is the top correction. That matters more than any light moment at the podium. Still, the antics are not meaningless. They suggest Bowles and Mayfield are trying to keep the locker room loose rather than tight after an 0-1 start. For a team that still moved the ball, did not punt for much of the game, and got impact plays from young contributors such as Josiah Trotter and Bucky Irving, that approach can help prevent panic. It also reflects Mayfield’s style: emotional, public, and often at his best when he has a chip on his shoulder. That chip will be enormous against Cleveland. Mayfield’s history with the Browns gives this game personal weight, and his comments about showing “which home is better” make clear he sees it as a statement opportunity. Combined with his recent extension and Tampa Bay’s playoff expectations, the scrutiny is real. If Mayfield protects the ball, the humor will look like leadership. If the mistakes continue, the tank top will be remembered as a sideshow before a much bigger problem.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 16

Baker Mayfield opened Wednesday's press conference in an ill-fitting Michigan basketball tank top after losing a friendly wager with Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles over Michigan's 17-10 win against Oklahoma.
The joke landed in a tense week for Tampa Bay: Mayfield is preparing to face Cleveland after a 33-27 opening loss to Cincinnati in which he threw no touchdown passes and lost three fumbles.
That rough debut came just after Mayfield signed a three-year, $165 million extension, raising expectations on both the quarterback and Bowles as the Buccaneers try to avoid an 0-2 start.
Sunday's Browns game adds another layer because Mayfield, the 2018 No. 1 pick, spent four seasons in Cleveland before the team moved on and traded him after choosing Deshaun Watson.