After being one of his most staunch critics in all of media, Colin Cowherd seems to have finally come around on Baker Mayfield. Following years of criticisms and one of the most uncomfortable interviews in the history of sports broadcasting, Fox Sport’s flagship personality now views the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as one of the most “underrated” signal callers in the game today.
Advertisement
During a discussion with his longtime partner, Nick Wright, on the latest episode of the Colin Cowherd Podcast, the longstanding commentator noted that there was always optimism surrounding Mayfield in Cleveland. According to Cowherd, the issue may have been the Browns more so than Baker.
“Baker was the rare, a lot of testosterone, a lot of confidence, and I felt like, can somebody turn the governor down just a little? He was Johnny Manziel, but more likable and with actual talent. He could really throw a football. But, Baker, I think, is the rare NFL player and quarterback here. The talent is inarguable, he just needs to turn the governor down. Cleveland was not built for Baker.”
The Oklahoma product has certainly grown leaps and bounds since first debuting with the Browns in 2018. After experiencing a bit of a resurgence with the Carolina Panthers, he’s been stellar since joining forces with Todd Bowles in Tampa Bay.
Nevertheless, he is routinely left out of the top 10 QBs discussion. Something that, in the eyes of Wright, needs to change.
“I think it’s hard to make a top 10 and not include him, and when you add the fact that he makes around 60% of what the other guys in the top 10 make, his value is massive. For a guy who dealt with injuries during his time in Cleveland, he’s durable. His teammates love him, and now he’s had back-to-back years of really high productivity.”
Considering that Baker currently ranks within the top 15 signal callers on PFF, he’s currently signed to the 17th most valuable contract on the market. While that’s great for the Buccaneers’ salary cap figures, it’s anything but ideal for Baker’s personal situation.
Thankfully, he has the opportunity to do something about it. 2025 will be the second-to-last season on his current deal, and it’s unlikely that the Bucs will be willing to let him go given his recent production.
They already had a potential out on him for this year, but they’ve obviously elected to ignore that, as division titles are worth more to them than dollars. Should Emeka Egbuka prove to be as advertised, then it’s incredibly possible that the former Sooner could play himself into a massive contract extension in 2026.
Tampa has had a firm grasp on the NFC South for the last four years. Should they hope to keep that way, it’ll be in their best interest to retain him until he is no longer viable.
