The exhaustive research on all 32 NFL teams’ quarterbacks is in the books.
Since players reported back for work across the NFL in April, every starting quarterback has had a news conference with very few exceptions.
(Some quarterbacks have had more than one.)
Creepy Browns QB Deshaun Watson is one exception and he may not be a starter, but fellow Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders held a news conference. Denver QB Bo Nix is recovering from a significant injury and hasn’t talked to media. Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett is a contract holdout and he hasn’t talked, but his competition for a starting job, Gardner Minshew, did take questions.
And then there’s Baker Mayfield. He’s healthy. He’s not creepy. And he’s not a contract holdout. But Mayfield hasn’t held a news conference since reporting back to work for Tampa Bay.
In fact, Mayfield hasn’t done an interview since he was a paid spokesperson hanging around the Super Bowl. Prior to that, Mayfield did one postseason interview with Rondé Barber in January, when Mayfield was very confident Mike Evans would return for another Tampa Bay season.
Most quarterbacks are the face of their franchise and take great pride in that role. They feel obligated to talk to the media when a new fiscal football year begins.
As Joe noted, basically every quarterback has addressed his local media, even injured Patrick Mahomes and stars like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, as well as old man Aaron Rodgers.
Yes, Mayfield’s wife had a baby in mid-April. Congrats, Baker!! But Mayfield has been practicing. And, because Joe did the research, Jordan Love of the Packers had his first child a week after the Mayfield birth, yet Love held a 17-minute news conference at Packers headquarters this week
This is not Joe complaining. It’s Joe wondering why Mayfield hasn’t wanted to talk to Bucs fans about the team and all its changes. And yes, that’s exactly what players are doing when they talk to media; they’re talking to fans.
Joe would be more than happy to see Mayfield skip a local news conference and sit down with Buccaneers.com or with one of his many friends in NFL media. The fans want to hear from their leader!
Meanwhile, the Bucs are trying to sell home-game tickets to local fans before Packers and Steelers fans gobble them all up. Mayfield talking sure could help drum up more excitement for ticket sales.
Joe often writes there are no coincidences in the NFL. So Mayfield clamming up while his QB peers are talking sure seems noteworthy.
Does Mayfield not want to talk about his contract status or about Mike Evans wanting to play with Brock Purdy?
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