Baker Mayfield Turns Moneybags Into Fumbles in Disastrous Season Opener
Baker Mayfield Turns Moneybags Into Fumbles in Disastrous Season Opener
The stage was set for Baker Mayfield to have a big game in the Buccaneers’ season opener in Cincinnati on Sunday.
Instead, Mayfield played one of his sloppiest games since he’s been with Tampa Bay en route to a 33-27 loss.
Baker Mayfield turns moneybags into fumbles in a disastrous season opener
On Tuesday, Mayfield signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with Tampa Bay.
The contract made Mayfield tied for the third-largest annual salary among quarterbacks. The earnings on Mayfield’s new contract surpassed the entire earnings from Mayfield’s first nine years in the league.
The biggest storyline surrounding Tampa Bay this offseason was the lack of a contract extension for Mayfield. It was thought that the conversation about Mayfield’s worthiness of a long-term deal would quieten after he signed the extension last week.
However, Mayfield’s implosion on Sunday only amplified the voices of those who were doubting his worth.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) gets a handle on Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) as he scrambles in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.
Baker Mayfield crumbles on the road in Cincinnati
Mayfield’s errors on Sunday afternoon directly led to Tampa Bay’s loss.
He lost three fumbles against the Bengals. It’s the first time in Mayfield’s career that he’s lost that many fumbles in a single game. It’s the 14th time in Mayfield’s career that he’s had three turnovers in a game, and the fourth time since he became a Buccaneer.
Overall, the Bucs lost four fumbles on Sunday afternoon. It was the first time the team lost four fumbles in a game since September 2014 against the Falcons.
In a game decided by one possession, the fumbles derailed Tampa Bay’s hopes of winning. The Bucs watched a 3-0 lead turn into a 21-3 deficit in the first half after they fumbled on three consecutive possessions.
Mayfield was under duress all afternoon. He was pressured 10 times and sacked four times. Two of those were strip sacks. Mayfield only completed two passes when he was pressured.
The most disheartening of Mayfield’s fumbles came in the second quarter. Mayfield somehow escaped the arms of multiple defenders in the backfield and scampered for a first down inside the Bengals’ 5-yard line. However, at the end of the play, Cincinnati linebacker Barrett Carter ripped the ball loose, and Mayfield fumbled on the doorstep of the end zone.
The #Bengals just forced their 3rd fumble recovery, and second from QB Baker Mayfield: pic.twitter.com/YjGDh3DASZ https://t.co/H66JBjINFP
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 13, 2026
Overall, Mayfield completed 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards and a rushing touchdown. His game grade, according to Pro Football Focus, was 49.9.
“This one falls on me,” Mayfield said about the turnovers after the game. “It’s frustrating when you do something like when you move the ball up and down the field.”
The Bucs averaged 5.4 yards per play on Sunday afternoon. Tampa Bay didn’t punt once in the game; they either turned the ball over or scored on all nine of their drives.
It was Tampa Bay’s first game with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. The turnovers derailed what was an offense that moved the ball consistently in its team debut.
Now, Mayfield and the Bucs will turn their attention to their home opener against the Browns, a game for Mayfield that has some heightened meaning with Cleveland being his former team and the team that traded him away in the 2022 offseason.
“Obviously, there’s some history; there’s no way to go around that. But it’s still the next one, and that’s the most important one.”
The Bucs will need a more secure game from Mayfield if they want to get their first win of 2026 next Sunday.
The Last Word
Mayfield’s struggles on Sunday got in the way of a season-opening win. It’s the first time in Todd Bowles’ tenure as Tampa Bay’s head coach that he’s lost a season opener.
The mistakes are definitely correctable, but being loose with the football has been an Achilles’ heel for Mayfield in his NFL career.
It’s not good timing for Mayfield to have an implosion like this. Mayfield will have to go through a week of doubt and slander from outsiders questioning his new deal.
However, Mayfield still has the security of a new deal moving forward, and there’s reason to believe that with his play improving, the Bucs’ offense can have a strong season.
Tampa Bay made it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter despite four turnovers in the game. A cleaner game, and they could have found themselves walking away with a win.
The Bucs are hoping that cleaner games will result in a bunch of wins moving forward in 2026.
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