01 October 2023 , 19:49
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Baker Mayfield escaped a major injury in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers divisional game with the New Orleans Saints after a brutal hit.
The Bucs quarterback expertly extended the play by maneuvering in the pocket before finding tight end Cade Otton with a wide-open pass to score a touchdown. But as he released the ball, he was wrapped up by Cameron Jordan before fellow defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd hit him going the opposite way as he went down to the ground.
Jordan had kept a hold of Mayfield as he went down to the ground after throwing the ball with Shepherd hitting him high, with the quarterback landing awkwardly with Buccaneers fans likely wincing at what they had seen. Thankfully, Mayfield was able to get up quickly and hobbled off the field after the hit and stayed in the game.
Mayfield is in his first season with the Bucs after signing a one-year deal worth $8.5 million (£6.8 million) back in March. They have got the season off to a surprisingly strong start, winning their first two games before being beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mayfield had previously spent four years with the Cleveland Browns after being the first overall draft pick in 2018, before spending the 2022 NFL season at the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams.
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And after signing with the Bucs in what was seen as a last-chance opportunity for him to prove himself as a starter, Mayfield has looked every bit of the player that he had been in his rookie season with the Browns - where he earned plaudits.
Mayfield looks to have avoided a major injuryHe has now thrown multiple touchdowns and just two interceptions through the first four games, leading the Bucs to an impressive start to the season. When speaking earlier this offseason about him being doubted after being let go from three teams, he said: "I've always believed in myself.
"That's kind of why people either love or hate me. So I do it my own way. And I enjoy doing it.
"I have fun while I'm doing it.… I respect (Tom Brady, the man who Mayfield replaced) completely, but I'm not going to ever try and be him. I'm not built like him. I don't play like him. So just, yeah, try to be the best version of myself."