Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Baker Mayfield
How Baker Mayfield built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Baker Mayfield is an American football quarterback currently playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He rose to prominence playing college football for the Oklahoma Sooners, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 2017 as the first walk-on player to achieve this honor. Mayfield began his college career at Texas Tech. He was drafted first overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has played for the Browns, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
1969: Browns Last Playoff Road Victory Before 2020
In the Wild Card Round of 2020, Mayfield led the Browns to their first playoff road victory since 1969.
1994: Browns Playoff Victory
2020 marked the Browns' first playoff victory since 1994, breaking a long drought for the team and its fans.
1994: Browns Last Playoff Victory Before 2020
In the Wild Card Round of 2020, Mayfield led the Browns to their first playoff victory since the 1994 season.
1999: Kliff Kingsbury Named Offensive Player
Kliff Kingsbury was named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week as a freshman Texas Tech quarterback in 1999.
2001: First Browns QB to Start 16 Games Since 2001
In Week 17 of 2019 against the Bengals, Baker Mayfield became the first Cleveland Browns QB to start all 16 games in a season since Tim Couch in 2001.
2002: Browns Playoff Appearance
2020 was the first year since 2002 that the Browns made a playoff appearance.
2002: Browns Last Playoff Berth Since 2002
In Week 17 of 2020, Mayfield and the Browns earned their first playoff berth since 2002.
2007: Browns First Winning Season Since 2007
In Week 13 of 2020, The Browns secured their first winning season since 2007 after defeating the Titans 41-35.
2011: Won State Championship
In 2011, Baker Mayfield led Lake Travis High School to a 4A State Championship, contributing to a 25-2 record over two seasons.
2013: Freshman Offensive Player of the Year
In 2013, Baker Mayfield earned Big 12 Conference Freshman Offensive Player of the Year. He subsequently announced his departure from the Texas Tech program.
2013: Named Starting Quarterback
Shortly before the 2013 season, Baker Mayfield was named the starting quarterback for Texas Tech, becoming the first walk-on true freshman quarterback to start an FBS season opener.
February 2014: Confirmed as Walk-On
In February 2014, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops confirmed that Baker Mayfield would be a walk-on for the Oklahoma Sooners.
July 2014: Release Granted
In July 2014, Baker Mayfield was granted a release from Texas Tech, but was still forced to sit out the 2014 season and lost a year of eligibility.
August 24, 2015: Named Starting Quarterback
On August 24, 2015, Baker Mayfield was named the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners after winning an open competition.
September 6, 2015: First Start Against Akron
On September 6, 2015, Baker Mayfield started his first game for the Sooners against Akron, passing for 388 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-3 victory.
2015: Finished Fourth in Heisman Voting
In 2015, Baker Mayfield finished the year with impressive stats, leading to a fourth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting and helping Oklahoma reach the Orange Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal.
2015: First Away Win
In week 11, Mayfield led the Browns to their first away win since 2015, against the Cincinnati Bengals.
June 1, 2016: Big 12 Rule Change
On June 1, 2016, the Big 12 faculty athletic representatives voted against a rule proposal that would have allowed walk-on players to transfer within the conference and not lose a year of eligibility, however, later it was amended to allow transfers without a written scholarship offer.
2016: Season Performance
In 2016, Mayfield had a strong season including 545 passing yards and seven touchdowns against Texas Tech.
November 4, 2017: School-High Passing Yards
On November 4, 2017, Baker Mayfield threw for a school-high 598 yards against Oklahoma State, contributing to a 62-52 victory and completing his Bedlam Series career 3-0 as the starting quarterback.
December 2, 2017: Big 12 Championship
On December 2, 2017, Baker Mayfield led Oklahoma to its third straight Big 12 championship, earning MVP honors in a 41-17 victory over TCU and clinching a playoff berth.
December 9, 2017: Won Heisman Trophy
On December 9, 2017, Baker Mayfield won the 2017 Heisman Trophy with a significant majority, becoming the first walk-on player to ever receive the award.
2017: Heisman Trophy Winner
In 2017, Baker Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy while playing for the Oklahoma Sooners. He was the first walk-on player to ever win the prestigious award.
2017: Sugar Bowl MVP
In the 2017 Sugar Bowl, Baker Mayfield earned the MVP award after leading the Sooners to a 35-19 victory over Auburn with 296 passing yards and two touchdowns.
2017: Eligible to Play
The rule change made Baker Mayfield eligible to play for Oklahoma through the 2017 season.
July 24, 2018: Signed with Browns
On July 24, 2018, Baker Mayfield signed a four-year rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns, worth $32.68 million in guaranteed salary.
2018: Took Over as Browns' Starter in 2018
Due to injury, Mayfield was ruled out for the Browns' Week 7 game against the Denver Broncos on October 7, 2021, missing his first game since taking over as the Browns' starter in 2018.
2018: PFWA All-Rookie Team
In 2018, Baker Mayfield was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team, becoming the second Cleveland quarterback to receive this honor since Tim Couch in 1999.
2018: Drafted First Overall
In 2018, Baker Mayfield was selected first overall in the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, marking a significant milestone in his football career.
2019: 2019 Season Performance
In 2019, Baker Mayfield finished the season with 3,827 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. The Browns concluded the season with a 6-10 record.
2019: NFL Top 100
In 2019, Baker Mayfield was named the 50th best player in the league by his peers on the annual Top 100 Players list.
2020: 2020 Season Performance
In 2020, Baker Mayfield finished the season with 4,030 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and nine interceptions through 18 total games.
2020: Led Browns to Playoffs
In 2020, Baker Mayfield led the Cleveland Browns to their first playoff appearance since 2002 and their first playoff victory since 1994, marking his most successful season with the team.
2020: Browns First Playoff Berth Since 2002
In 2020, Mayfield and the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers and earned their first playoff berth since 2002, finishing the regular season 11–5.
April 23, 2021: Fifth-Year Contract Option Exercised
On April 23, 2021, the Browns exercised Mayfield's fifth-year contract option for the 2022 season, worth $18.9 million guaranteed.
2021: NFL Top 100
In 2021, Baker Mayfield was ranked 71st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players.
July 6, 2022: Traded to the Panthers
On July 6, 2022, Baker Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a 2024 conditional fifth-round draft pick.
August 22, 2022: Named Panthers' Week 1 Starter
On August 22, 2022, Baker Mayfield was named the Week 1 starter for the Carolina Panthers for their game against the Cleveland Browns.
December 5, 2022: Panthers Release
On December 5, 2022, with a 1–5 record, Baker Mayfield requested and was granted his release from the Carolina Panthers.
December 6, 2022: Claimed by the Rams
On December 6, 2022, Baker Mayfield was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams. He led a game-winning 98-yard drive, the longest of his career, and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
2022: Traded From Cleveland
In 2022, Baker Mayfield was traded from the Cleveland Browns due to performance decline and conflicts with management, leading him to spend the year with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.
2022: Trade Request
In the 2022 offseason, after the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson and signed him to a contract extension, Mayfield requested that the team trade him.
March 15, 2023: Signed with the Buccaneers
On March 15, 2023, Baker Mayfield signed a one-year, $4.00 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to compete for the starting quarterback position.
2023: Joined Buccaneers
In 2023, Baker Mayfield joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading the team to consecutive division titles and a playoff victory. He also earned Pro Bowl honors and set career highs in consecutive years.
March 10, 2024: Contract Extension with Buccaneers
On March 10, 2024, Baker Mayfield signed a three-year contract extension with the Buccaneers, worth up to $100 million, with $50 million guaranteed.
2024: Conditional Draft Pick
On July 6, 2022, Baker Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a 2024 conditional fifth-round draft pick that would become a fourth-round pick if Mayfield played in 70% of the Panthers' offensive snaps, but it did not happen.
