NFC Notes: Baker Mayfield, Adam Thielen, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers

Buccaneers

After starting for four different teams in three seasons, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield signed a long-term deal to remain in Tampa Bay after a bounce-back season. Mayfield is back to having fun playing football and appreciates having a long-term home.

“You’re having a lot more fun when you’re not getting shipped off to different places like a piece of dirty laundry, I’ll tell you that,” Mayfield said, via The Mike Calta Show. “So, when I got embraced in Tampa, it made a world of difference. I’ve always played ball to enjoy it. I mean, it is a game.”

“Yes, it is my job, but I love it so much. I’ve always worn my emotions on my sleeve and, so, let people embrace that, and that’s why I’m so excited for having more years to come in Tampa for people to just get to know me a little bit better, truly realize that’s not just a show on the field. That’s who I am when it comes down to the football aspect. I love it. I’d do anything for our team and our locker room guys know that.”

Falcons

Falcons HC Raheem Morris has loaded his staff up on both sides of the ball, giving them one of the bigger coaching staffs in the league. Morris emphasized turnover from winning as the biggest reason he keeps a large staff so that they can hire from within in the future. 

“It’s the attrition of knowing that you’re going to be good. It’s a little bit of arrogance with it as well, right?” Morris said, via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. “We’re going to lose good coaches. And I would like to be able to replace them within. I would like to be able to have guys in place that are training and constantly develop for those roles.”

“When you do it, you don’t come into this thing hoping you can win. You go into this thing knowing you can win. And when you know you can win, you’re going to lose people that are curious about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. And I want to be prepared for that.”

Panthers

Panthers WR Adam Thielen begins his 11th NFL season, still planning to prove himself in Carolina despite catching 103 passes in his first year with the team.

“I think I talk to the young guys about this all the time, is no matter who you are, no matter how old you are, no matter how many years you’ve been in the league, you have something to prove,” Thielen said, via Darin Gantt of the team’s website. “And you have to have that mindset every single day, whether it’s OTAs when no one’s watching other than the coaches, or on Sundays when 60,000 people are watching, you have to have that same mindset that you’re going to prove that you can play at a high level. And, you know, it doesn’t change no matter how many years. When you’re in years 10, 11, 12, you have to go out there and prove it, right?”