Baker Mayfield: Rams Stint Helped 'Hit the Reset Button' After Browns, Panthers Exits

After a rocky start to his professional career, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield feels like his is on the right track.

His career started with a bang, being selected with the top selection in the 2018 NFL Draft and leading a franchise that had a disastrous past to its first ever playoff victory. However, his tenure with the Cleveland Browns ended on a low, and his brief time as the starter for the Carolina Panthers was even worse.

After a midseason release, he was picked up by the Los Angeles Rams. It's weird that a defending Super Bowl Champion would be able to pick up a former top pick in that manner, but Mayfield said it was the best thing to happen to him.

"I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. It was the first time I had fun playing football in a few years," Mayfield said (via Belle Fraser of the New York Post) "It brought that feeling of having that success and really remembering what it was all about, Kind of hit the reset button for me."

Mayfield went 1-3 and threw for 850 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions, but these were steps in the right direction. The performance helped him build a market, and he eventually found a home in Tampa Bay.

"To be around a coach like Sean McVay and a bunch of other guys… to be around those guys and to be in that offense and now looking forward to being in Tampa because it's a very similar system with our new offensive coordinator [David Canales]," Mayfield said.

Mayfield is set to compete with Kyle Trask for the privilege to succeed Tom Brady, but if this truly is a reset, it could be the perfect opportunity for him to recapture his early success.