Former Teammate Has Strong Words For Buccaneers' QB Baker Mayfield

While they no longer play with each other, Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield is getting some words of encouragement from Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb.

David Harrison | Aug 25, 2023

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

When the Cleveland Browns turn on any preseason tape of the Pittsburgh Steelers they'll hope to learn from this year No. 6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is going to stand out to at least one of his former teammates still playing in Ohio.

"I'm excited for him," Browns running back Nick Chubb told media following the announcement that his former quarterback Baker Mayfield will be starting for the Buccaneers this season. "I came in here with Baker...He's a great friend of mine. So, I'm excited to see him go out there and do well."

Mayfield was Cleveland's first pick - and the first overall pick - in the 2018 NFL Draft after he became a star with the Oklahoma Sooners winning the Heisman Trophy in 2017.

The Browns made two more picks before landing Chubb in the second round of that same draft selecting Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Ward and Nevada guard Austin Corbett prior to the Georgia Bulldogs ballcarrier.

Now, after what seems to be a lifetime since then, only Chubb and Ward remain from those four picks in the top two rounds of that draft.

It was Mayfield who won the Pro Football Writers of America's Offensive Rookie of the Year award their first season in the NFL while Chubb got nine starts and came four yards shy of 1,000 that same year.

The two spent four years together in Cleveland before Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers eventually being granted his release to finish the year with the Los Angeles Rams and ultimately signing with Tampa Bay this offseason.

In that same four-year stretch Chubb made it to three consecutive Pro Bowls and became arguably the league's best running back in the process.

After three seasons in the league, Cleveland gave Chubb a new contract worth $36.6 million that is set to expire after the 2024 season.

Mayfield's contract is set to expire after this season, and it's with his fourth team in just over a year.

The two may have traveled many different paths, but clearly, the running back has never stopped supporting the quarterback.

And if his prediction comes true, Mayfield will be rejoining Chubb on the path of successful NFL players very soon.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

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Published Aug 25, 2023

DAVID HARRISON

David Harrison has been in sports media since 2015 using written, audio, and video media to cover athletes, coaches, and games. In addition to covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for BucsGameday and Locked On Bucs he also covers the Washington Commanders for Commander Country and Locked On Commanders and the Washington Wizards for Inside the Wizards. David also covers the NFL as a whole as one of the Friday hosts for Locked On NFL. He is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and previously spent 20 years as an active member of the United States Army. Contact David via email at david.w.harrison82@gmail.com or on Twitter @DHarrison82.