Baker Mayfield

Early life

Baker Reagan Mayfield was born on April 14, 1995, in Austin, Texas, to James and Gina Mayfield. He is the younger of their two sons. His mother chose the name Baker, and his father selected Reagan as his middle name in honor of President Ronald Reagan. During Mayfield's senior year in high school, his family sold its home and moved among rental properties after his father, a private equity consultant, encountered financial difficulties.

Mayfield grew up as a fan of the Oklahoma Sooners and attended the team's games with his family. His father played quarterback and punter for the University of Houston from 1967 to 1969 but did not letter.

Mayfield was the starting quarterback for the Lake Travis High School Cavaliers in Austin. He posted a 25–2 record over two seasons and led the team to the 2011 Class 4A state championship. He finished his high school career with 6,255 passing yards, 67 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Mayfield received scholarship offers from Washington State, Rice, New Mexico, and Florida Atlantic, but chose to attend Texas Tech as a walk-on.

College career

Texas Tech

With projected starter Michael Brewer sidelined by a back injury, Mayfield was named Texas Tech's starting quarterback shortly before the 2013 season opener against SMU. He became the first walk-on true freshman quarterback to start an FBS season opener.

Mayfield completed 43 of 60 passes for 413 yards and four touchdowns in Texas Tech's 41–23 victory over SMU. His 43 completions set a Texas Tech record for a quarterback in a career debut, and he was named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

A knee injury limited Mayfield during the season, and Davis Webb made four starts before Mayfield returned for the final two regular-season games. Mayfield finished the season with 2,315 passing yards on 218 completions in 340 attempts, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

In November, Mayfield was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy. He was later named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. In December, Mayfield announced that he would transfer from Texas Tech.

Oklahoma

Mayfield enrolled at the University of Oklahoma in January 2014 and joined the Sooners as a walk-on. He arrived without having contacted the coaching staff and introduced himself to head coach Bob Stoops after enrolling. Mayfield sat out the season under NCAA transfer rules and worked with Oklahoma's scout team. His appeal for immediate eligibility was denied in September.

On August 24, 2015, Stoops named Mayfield the starting quarterback for the 2015 season after a competition with Trevor Knight and Cody Thomas. In his second start, he helped Oklahoma overcome a 17-point deficit to defeat Tennessee 31–24 in double overtime. The following week against Tulsa, Mayfield set an Oklahoma record with 572 yards of total offense. He passed for 487 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns in a 52–38 win.

Mayfield finished the season with 3,700 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Big 12, won the Burlsworth Trophy, and received first-team All-America recognition from Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.

Oklahoma finished the regular season 11–1 and won the Big 12 championship after defeating Oklahoma State 58–23. The Sooners reached the College Football Playoff but lost 37–17 to Clemson in the Orange Bowl semifinal. Mayfield passed for 311 yards and one touchdown in the game.

In June 2016, the Big 12 amended its transfer rule to allow walk-ons who had not received a written scholarship offer from their former school to transfer within the conference without losing a season of eligibility. The change restored Mayfield's eligibility for the 2017 season.

On October 22, Mayfield completed 27 of 36 passes for 545 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns in a 66–59 win over Texas Tech. Oklahoma became the first team to finish 9–0 in Big 12 regular-season play and won its second consecutive conference championship.

Mayfield passed for 3,965 yards, 40 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He led the FBS with a 70.9 completion percentage and set an FBS single-season record with a 196.4 passing efficiency rating. He finished third in Heisman Trophy voting and won the Burlsworth Trophy for the second consecutive year. In the 2017 Sugar Bowl, Mayfield completed 19 of 28 passes for 296 yards and two touchdowns as Oklahoma defeated Auburn 35–19. He received the Miller-Digby Award as the game's most outstanding player.

Baker Mayfield rule

Texas Tech did not grant Mayfield a full release for an intraconference transfer. Under the rules then in effect, he was required to sit out the 2014 season and lost a season of Big 12 eligibility. Mayfield argued that the eligibility penalty should not apply because he had been a walk-on and had never received a scholarship from Texas Tech. In January 2014, a five-member panel of Texas Tech's athletics council unanimously denied his appeal to retain the season of eligibility.

Texas Tech later permitted Oklahoma to place Mayfield on scholarship but did not waive the transfer restriction that prevented him from playing during the 2014 season. Mayfield also sought a waiver from the NCAA for immediate eligibility, arguing that his former walk-on status distinguished him from scholarship transfers. The NCAA denied that appeal in September 2014.

On June 1, 2016, the Big 12 faculty athletics representatives voted 5–5 on a proposal that would have allowed walk-ons to transfer within the conference without losing a season of eligibility. Because the proposal did not receive a majority, it initially failed. The representatives reconsidered the issue the following day and approved an amended proposal by a 7–3 vote. The amendment applied to walk-ons who had not received a written scholarship offer from their former school.

Because Mayfield had not received a written scholarship offer from Texas Tech, the change restored his eligibility to play for Oklahoma in 2017. The amendment became commonly known as the "Baker Mayfield rule". Texas Tech voted in favor of the amended proposal.

Professional career

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns selected Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft. Mayfield signed a four-year rookie contract with the Browns on July 24, 2018, with the deal worth $32.68 million in guaranteed salary.

Mayfield played in his first NFL game in Week 3 against the New York Jets, replacing an injured Tyrod Taylor with the Browns down 14–0. Mayfield went 17 of 23, passing for 201 yards as the Browns came back and prevailed 21–17, ending their winless streak at 19 games. Mayfield became the first player since Fran Tarkenton in 1961 to come off the bench in his debut, throw for more than 200 yards, and lead his team to its first win of the season.

Mayfield started for the first time in the Browns' next game, making him the 30th starting quarterback for the Browns since their return to the NFL in 1999, in a 45–42 overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders. In Week 5, Mayfield threw for 342 passing yards and one touchdown as he earned his first victory as a Browns starter, in a 12–9 overtime win over the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 10, Mayfield led the Browns to a 28–16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. throwing for 216 yards, three touchdowns, and a passer rating of 151.2, with no turnovers. The following week, Mayfield led the Browns to their first away win since 2015, against the Cincinnati Bengals. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 258 yards and four touchdowns. In Week 12, in a 29–13 loss to the Houston Texans, Mayfield passed for 397 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. Mayfield bounced back in the following game, a 26–20 victory over the Carolina Panthers, going 18 of 22 for 238 passing yards and one touchdown.

In Week 16, Mayfield completed 27 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in a 26–18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, earning him American Football Conference (AFC) Offensive Player of the Week. He also won the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week fan vote for the sixth time. On December 29, Mayfield was fined $10,026 for unsportsmanlike conduct during the game. As reported by The Plain Dealer, Mayfield "pretended to expose his private parts" to Browns offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens after throwing a touchdown to tight end Darren Fells. Kitchens later defended the gesture as an inside joke between the two. Mayfield's agent Tom Mills said they would appeal the fine. On December 30, in the regular-season finale against the Ravens' league-best defense and fellow rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson, Mayfield threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns, but his three costly interceptions — one of which came at the hands of linebacker C. J. Mosley with 1:02 left in the fourth quarter while attempting to drive the team into range of a game-winning field goal attempt — ultimately contributed to a 26–24 loss.

Carolina Panthers

On July 6, 2022, Mayfield was traded to the Panthers for a 2024 conditional fifth-round draft pick. The fifth-round pick would become a fourth-round pick if Mayfield played in 70% of the Panthers' offensive snaps, but it did not happen.

Mayfield competed against Sam Darnold for the starting position with the team. On August 22, 2022, Mayfield was named the Week 1 starter for the Panthers for their game against the Browns. Against the Browns, Mayfield threw for 235 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 26–24 loss despite a late rally. Mayfield suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Panthers' Week 5 loss to the 49ers, which made him miss the next week against the Los Angeles Rams. Mayfield returned and backed up P. J. Walker starting in Week 8. In the Week 9 game against the Bengals, the Panthers were trailing 35–0 at halftime behind a disastrous start by Walker; Interim Head Coach Steve Wilks inserted Mayfield for the second half, in which he threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns in the 42–21 loss. Wilks announced that he would return to Walker as his starting quarterback for Week 10.

With a 1–5 record, Mayfield later requested his release from the Panthers, which was granted on December 5, 2022.

Los Angeles Rams

On December 6, 2022, Mayfield was claimed off waivers by the Rams after starting quarterback Matthew Stafford sustained a spinal cord injury on December 2. The Rams inherited the remaining $1.35 million on his contract. With only two days for Mayfield to learn the playbook after he was claimed, the Rams started John Wolford at quarterback for their game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Rams' head coach Sean McVay benched Wolford after the first offensive series, though, and inserted Mayfield. The Rams were trailing 16–3 in the fourth quarter, seemingly headed for their seventh consecutive loss, when Mayfield led them on a comeback. With 1:45 remaining in the game, still down by 6 points, and with no timeouts left to use, the Rams' offense took the field at their own two-yard line. Mayfield then led the Rams to a game-winning 98-yard drive, which became the longest touchdown drive of his career. Mayfield completed 22 of 35 passes for 230 yards without an interception in the game and was named the National Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

In a Week 15 Monday Night Football matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Mayfield threw his 100th career passing touchdown. In a Week 16 matchup against the Broncos, Mayfield led the Rams to a dominant 51–14 win while completing 24 of 28 pass attempts for 230 yards and throwing for two touchdowns.

Mayfield would later credit his five-game stint with the Rams for rejuvenating his career following the disappointment of his time with Carolina. “It brought the fun back. When I’m having fun, talking trash, and enjoying it, like that’s when I’m my best. Yeah, I needed that,” Mayfield said.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On March 15, 2023, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Mayfield to a one-year, $4 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $2.87 million. Mayfield was brought in to compete against Kyle Trask and John Wolford to determine who would be the successor at starting quarterback to Tom Brady after he retired after the 2022 NFL season.

In Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, Mayfield went 3 for 11 to start the game, but soon thereafter threw a touchdown to end the first half. After that, Mayfield went 18/23 for 110 yards and a touchdown for the rest of the game, including a crucial scramble for a first down to secure a 20–17 victory. In Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, Mayfield went 26 for 34 for 317 yards and one touchdown in a 27–17 win. His 76% completion percentage for this game narrowly marked the best completion rate of his career at that point, in any of 33 games with 33+ pass attempts. Before that, his 75.8% completion rate on December 6, 2020, in a win against the Titans while on the Browns, had been his highest completion rate. This was also the first time in his career that Mayfield had started 2–0. In Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Mayfield went 15/25 for 146 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, his first turnover of the season. He had one rush for 2 yards and fumbled once, which was recovered by Tampa Bay. Mayfield was also sacked twice.

In Week 15 against the Packers, Mayfield posted a perfect passer rating, completing 22 of 28 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 34–20 win. He was the first opposing quarterback to ever have a perfect passer rating at Lambeau Field. He was named the National Football Conference (NFC) Offensive Player of the Week for this performance. In Week 18 against the Panthers, Mayfield led the Buccaneers to a 9–0 victory, clinching the Buccaneers' third straight NFC South title. Mayfield concluded the season with 28 touchdown passes, 4,044 passing yards and a 64.3% completion rate, all career highs. He earned his first Pro Bowl nomination.

In the Wild Card Round game against the Eagles, Mayfield completed 22 of 36 passes, for 337 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He led the Buccaneers to a 32–9 win over the defending NFC champions. In the Divisional round against the Detroit Lions, Mayfield completed 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. The second interception proved costly as it allowed the Lions to run out the clock as the Buccaneers lost, 31–23.

Career statistics

Career highlights

Awards and honors

NFL

2× Pro Bowl (2023, 2024)

Pro Bowl Offensive MVP (2023)

Highest playoff passer rating (minimum 150 attempts): 105.9

7× Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week (2018 Weeks 3, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17)

2× AFC Offensive Player of the Week: Week 16 (2018), Week 7 (2020)

2× NFC Offensive Player of the Week: Week 14 (2022), Week 15 (2023)

PFT Rookie of the Year (2018)

PFWA Rookie of the Year (2018)

PFF Offensive Rookie of the Year (2018)

PFWA All-Rookie Team (2018)

4× NFL Top 100 — 50th (2019), 71st (2021), 50th (2025), 77th (2026)

NCAA

Heisman Trophy (2017)

2× Heisman Trophy Finalist (2016, 2017)

Maxwell Award (2017)

Walter Camp Award (2017)

Davey O'Brien Award (2017)

Associated Press Player of the Year (2017)

2× Sporting News Player of the Year (2015, 2017)

2× Burlsworth Trophy (2015, 2016)

Cleveland Browns franchise records

Most consecutive games with at least two passing touchdowns – 5

Most passing yards per game in a season – 266.1

Highest QBR for a rookie – 55.7

Highest passer rating by a rookie – 93.7

Highest completion percentage by a rookie – 63.8%

Highest net yards per pass attempt by a rookie – 6.95

Highest adjusted net yards per pass attempt by a rookie – 6.77

Lowest percentage of sacks per pass attempt by a rookie – 4.9

Most pass completions by a rookie – 310

Most passing yards by a rookie – 3,725

Most passing yards per game by a rookie – 266.1

Most 4th quarter comebacks by a rookie – 3

Most game-winning drives by a rookie – 4

Most passing yards in a game by a rookie – 397

Most touchdown passes in a game by a rookie – 4

Most touchdown passes by a rookie – 27

Most pass completions in a game by a rookie – 29 (Done twice, tied with Tim Couch)

Personal life

On February 25, 2017, Mayfield was arrested in Washington County, Arkansas on charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and fleeing and resisting arrest. At 2:29 a.m. that Saturday, a police officer was flagged down on an assault and battery report. The person who flagged the officer was yelling at Mayfield. The preliminary police report described Mayfield as unable to walk straight, having slurred speech and food covering the front of his shirt. When he was asked to stay so the police could get a statement, Mayfield began shouting obscenities and "causing a scene". Mayfield was booked at 8:21 a.m. local time on the misdemeanor charges. He had a court date on April 7 for the public intoxication charge, and pleaded not guilty to all charges. On June 15, 2017, the University of Oklahoma ordered Mayfield to perform 35 hours of community service along with completing an alcohol education program.

In July 2019, Mayfield married Emily Wilkinson. In December 2023, the pair announced they were expecting their first child, a girl, who was born in April 2024. In April 2026, their second child, a boy, was born.

During his tenure with the Browns, Mayfield starred in a continuing series of ads for Progressive Insurance. The ads showed him living "at home" in FirstEnergy Stadium with his wife and performing household chores like mowing the lawn and holding a yard sale.

In 2026, Mayfield and his family appeared in the Netflix documentary series Quarterback.

Mayfield is an investor in USL Championship soccer club OKC Energy.