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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
You don’t go through what Baker Mayfield has gone through — going from a No. 1 overall pick and the toast of the NFl to everyone giving up on you and back again — without figuring out how to get along.
What’s that saying about the people you see on the way down are the same ones you see on the way up?
Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are getting almost a complete reboot on the offensive coaching staff in 2026 after going 8-9 and missing the playoffs for the 1st time since 2019.
That reboot starts with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who worked with Mayfield during his brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, and new quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer, who just won a College Football Playoff National Championship as Indiana’s co-offensive coordinator.
In an exclusive talk with Heavy.com, Mayfield made his feelings clear on both Robinson and Whitmer and how he sees the offense moving forward.
Heavy Exclusive: Mayfield’s Takes On Robinson, Whitmer & Mendoza
Mayfield’s talk with Heavy included sharing a joke with Whitmer about Indiana’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s love of LinkedIn.
Mendoza is projected as the No. 1 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft.
“In a text (with Whitmer), one of the 1st jokes we had was he was going to make sure I had my LinkedIn profile updated,” Mayfield said.
The familiarity with Robinson could be critical moving forward as well. Robinson spent the last 2 seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
“I’ve know Zac going back to the L.A. Rams days, when he was the QB coach there,” Mayfield said. “So I’m really happy with that. I know him really well. I trust him wholeheartedly.”
Whitmer Getting 1st Big NFL Opportunity
Whitmer, 34 years old, spent time as the offensive quality control coach for the Los Angeles Chargers from 2021 to 2023 and was the pass game specialist for the Falcons under Robinson in 2024.
The job with the Buccaneers is his first chance at being a position coach, however, and a key step in any trajectory that might include next being an offensive coordinator and, 1 day, possibly a head coach.
“Getting to know (Whitmer) and learning from him, I’m really excited about that,” Mayfield said. “He’s a sharp football mind. He’s a young guy who has a lot of energy, got a lot of juice, so it’s exciting times when you’re figuring out who the staff’s going to be and how it’s all going to come together. Then it’s time to go to work.”
Massive Stakes for Mayfield in 2026
The Buccaneers made 1st year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard the sacrificial lamb for the 2025 failures — he was fired right after the season.
For Mayfield, there won’t be any more excuses or people to blame if he doesn’t get it done in 2026, which is also the final season of the 3-year, $100 million contract he signed before the 2024 season.
If Mayfield can deliver another NFC South Division title and playoff berth, it’s not a stretch to say he might be able to command a contract in the range of $50 million per year, from the Buccaneers or someone else in free agency.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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