Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio isn't shy about where he stands on Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Ahead of Sunday's matchup, Fangio praised the signal-caller and went a step further, criticizing the decisions of teams that moved on from him in recent years.
"The quarterback is playing really good," Fangio said, according to The Athletic's Zach Berman. "He's a scrambler. He scrambled, I think, 11 times this year for close to 120 yards already, so that's always an issue. I've always liked Mayfield.
"I think he's a good quarterback. Why these teams that had him didn’t keep him, I don't know. But GMs make mistakes, just like coaches do. I've always liked Mayfield. And their backs run hard and good, so they’ve got balance."
Mayfield has been at the center of one of the more winding quarterback journeys in recent NFL seasons. Drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2018, he led the Browns to a rare playoff victory but was later traded to the Carolina Panthers. After a brief stint with the Panthers, the Los Angeles Rams claimed him off waivers during the 2022 season.
Then, in 2023, he arrived in Tampa Bay and revived his career.