Baker Mayfield faces his former team, the Cleveland Browns, on September 20 as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback, marking a pivotal moment in his career after being traded in 2022. The matchup highlights tensions over his time in Cleveland and the Browns’ decision to acquire Deshaun Watson.
Baker Mayfield’s return to Cleveland as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer on September 20 is more than a regular-season game—it’s a reckoning. The Browns, meanwhile, have doubled down on their decision to trade for Deshaun Watson, a move that reshaped both teams’ trajectories.
Mayfield’s Evolution: From Browns Rejection to Bucs Resurgence
Mayfield’s journey since his 2022 exit from Cleveland has been marked by reinvention. There was a time and point where I used a lot of that negative stuff to fuel me,
Mayfield told Tampa-area reporters in September 2026, reflecting on the Browns’ decision to move on from him. But you know I found a fire within.
The Bucs’ confidence in Mayfield has been vindicated. This week is doing the little things right,
he said, emphasizing fundamentals over hype. The Bengals turned his three fumbles into 17 points in a 33-27 loss, per usatoday.com.
Ken Zampese: The Browns “Mucked It Up”
Ken Zampese, Mayfield’s former position coach with the Browns, delivered a blistering assessment of Cleveland’s decision to trade the quarterback. They had the guy,
Zampese said, via ESPN, and they gave him up.
The comment comes after the Browns’ 2022 trade for Deshaun Watson, a move Zampese called franchise-altering in a bad way.
Zampese’s remarks align with Mayfield’s own reflections on his time in Cleveland. With any experience, there's ups and downs, good and bad,
Mayfield said, acknowledging the lot of good memories
from his four seasons, including the 2020 playoff run. But the 2021 campaign—marked by a shoulder injury, inconsistent play, and locker-room friction—ultimately led to his departure. I think the media has this expectation that I'm supposed to throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns every week,
Watson added, highlighting the pressure he faced.
The Browns’ Watson Gambit and Its Fallout
Cleveland’s pursuit of Watson reshaped the NFL landscape. The Browns traded three first-round picks and additional assets for the quarterback, locking him into a five-year, $230 million contract. But the move has not delivered the expected success.
I know the frustration,
Watson said, acknowledging the “investment” the Browns made in him. Yet his focus remains on the Bucs’ matchup: My job is to make sure I'm operating well so we can try to get a win.
In 2023-2025, Mayfield has thrown for 95 touchdowns and made two postseasons and Pro Bowls with Tampa, per bleacherreport.com.
The Browns’ decision to trade Mayfield has also been scrutinized. It was only four years ago when I was in Baltimore, we thought he was coming there to be our backup,
Monken said, referencing his previous role with the Ravens. The good Lord put him in Tampa, and this is his fourth coordinator.
That’s hard, man.
He’s been the one constant playing there and has played at an elite level.
Mayfield’s current success contrasts sharply with the Browns’ struggles. The September 20 game will test whether the Browns can finally move past the Mayfield era—and whether Watson can prove the trade was justified. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium, per bleacherreport.com.
The stakes are high for both teams. For the Browns, it’s a reckoning with a decision that defined their recent history. As Mayfield prepares to face his former teammates, the narrative remains clear: the Buccaneers got a version of him the Browns never did.