Vance Joseph is plenty familiar with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Broncos defensive coordinator was the club’s head coach in 2018 when the staff coached the Senior Bowl. That group of quarterbacks in the NFL draft included Mayfield along with Buffalo’s Josh Allen.
Mayfield ended up going No. 1 overall to Cleveland, playing there from 2018-21 and struggling before splitting 2022 between Carolina and the Los Angeles Rams. He found his stride on a cheap one-year deal in 2023 with the Buccaneers and parlayed it into a three-year, $100 million deal this spring.
“Baker is a great story,” Joseph said. “Obviously he came in as a young guy, had some success early but kind of had a downfall and he’s back. It speaks to his character, it speaks to the coaching and it speaks to his will to keep improving and not listen to the outsiders.
“The first week we played (Seattle QB Geno Smith) and it’s the same kind of career,” Joseph said. “It’s been good to watch (Mayfield) come back. He’s always been a confident guy and he’s always been a playmaker, so that stuff wasn’t going to shake him personally.
Just being in the right system and having good players around him, maturing and it’s been good for him.” Mayfield’s off to a great start this year, having thrown for 474 yards on 74.5% completions, five touchdowns and one interception during Tampa Bay’s 2-0 start.
“He’s playing at a high level,” Joseph said. “He’s playing the best I’ve e.