Rich on Baker Mayfield’s Mindset Going into New Season with No Buccaneers Contract Extension

In a week where the injury report ran long, Baker Mayfield is healthy, playing in Tampa Bay's second preseason game against the Chiefs, and walking around with a chip the size of a season.

Asked about the opener, he told reporters he likes the spot. "I think we're going to shock a lot of people this year," Mayfield said. "I'm excited to just get on the road and do that."

Pressed on whether it is surprising to announce you plan to surprise people, he did not soften it. There is no embellishing, he said, and there is no avoiding it, because the TVs are everywhere.

"Everybody's picking us probably to have a losing record," Mayfield said. "So we'll see."

Then he walked off. Perfect.

Rich's read is that Mayfield is entering this season pissed, with a laundry list. Item one: he did not get the contract. Item two: the national media does not respect what the Buccaneers can do. Both marked down. Both filed.

The schedule turns the grudge into a tour. Tampa Bay opens in Ohio against the Bengals, which puts Mayfield in the state where he once planted a flag. The home opener is Cleveland, a game Rich says he has been circling. Then two more home games, then a trip to Dallas, then Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh come to visit before the division schedule opens at Carolina, the team the Buccaneers had chances to beat with the division on the line and did not.

Atlanta is on there too, with Kevin Stefanski sitting on the other sideline, which Rich figures is another circled date for reasons that have nothing to do with the standings.

There is a pattern running through the first nine weeks. Bears, Carolina, Minnesota, Cincinnati, and a string of quarterbacks who were also taken first overall. Then he visits Detroit, a team he nearly knocked out of a Super Bowl run, and another first overall pick. Then the Rams, and another one.

"Planting a flag against a whole bunch of people who thought he should never been first overall to begin with," Rich said. "I love it."

His projection before the bye: 5 and 4, or 6 and 3.

The skepticism around Tampa Bay is not invented out of nothing. The Buccaneers finished poorly, they did have a losing record last year, they lost Mike Evans and Lavonte David, Vita Vea has said he wants out and is unhappy about not getting a new deal, and the coach gets hot-seat talk every single year.

What Rich likes most is that Mayfield is sick and tired of hearing it, which is a familiar fuel source for this particular quarterback.

Discount him at your peril.