Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Gives Advice to Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield offered a few tips to Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. before his first NFL start Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will make his first NFL start Sunday against the New York Giants. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons are chasing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South crown, a task the Falcons felt required a quarterback change to accomplish.

Atlanta benched veteran signal caller Kirk Cousins for first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. on Tuesday evening, believing the draft's No. 8 overall pick gives the team its best chance to win moving forward.

Penix has likely received a myriad of calls and texts filled with advice. The quarterback whose team he's chasing -- Buccaneers starter Baker Mayfield -- may not be one of them, but Mayfield did so publicly when asked about Penix during his press conference Wednesday.

"Just take it all in, trust yourself -- don't trust yourself too much because we're still trying to make the playoffs in front of each other," Mayfield said, laughing. "It's a tricky deal, but the whole locker room has to support it, and you just have to be all in for it to have success."

The 29-year-old Mayfield, who was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2018, was the Browns' backup quarterback for the first three games of his rookie season. He entered in Week 3 for the injured Tyrod Taylor and started every game thereafter.

Mayfield's ride from Cleveland to Tampa featured many stops in between and was far from linear, but he's learned lots about the intricacies of an NFL quarterbacks room -- and stressed the Falcons need to make sure they have that in line amidst their change.

"It's always a tough deal," Mayfield said. "From experience, I learned a lot behind Tyrod Taylor and Drew Stanton, just trying to take in as much information as possible. That's the most important part. You have to support each other in that room, and that's what it's all about.

"A different look this late in the year for him to be thrown into it with a lot on the line for them."

As for Mayfield, who earned a Pro Bowl nod last year and has already thrown a career-high 32 touchdown passes this season, his eyes are focused on the present -- and he wasn't swayed by Atlanta's shift to Penix.

"It doesn't bother me," Mayfield said. "I'm still playing ball for the Bucs."

The Falcons swept the Buccaneers this season, meaning Atlanta holds the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay. If the Falcons can make up one game -- achieved through an Atlanta win and Buccaneers loss --the Penix-led Falcons will win the division.

Perhaps Mayfield ends up watching from his couch as Penix and the Falcons play this postseason. Or maybe, the trickiness and toughness of the situation Mayfield described will be the final dagger in Atlanta's playoff hopes.