Authenticity is an underrated skill in the game, and every time Baker Mayfield steps onto the field, he shows up as his best self.
It's not easy being the next guy after the GOAT Tom Brady plays your position, but Mayfield has taken it in stride, which has put him into conversations that compare him to not other NFL players but movie stars. In an article from The Athletic published on Sept. 27, the outlet compares Mayfield's on-field confidence to that of Clint Eastwood's “gunslinger” swagger he portrays through various characters throughout his film career.
“Speaking of movie favorites, there’s always been something very Hollywood about Baker Mayfield. Maybe it’s the charm. Maybe it’s the swagger. Or maybe it’s the fact that he’s the only quarterback who ever looked completely at home starring in what felt like 43 commercials before his rookie contract was even up. (He’s really good in all of them, too.),” the outlet writes praising Mayfield.
“Baker really is the gunslinger rolling into town with that ‘go ahead, make my day' look — and a huge chip on his shoulder,” the outlet continues of Mayfield's determination.”
Despite always practicing there are times in which a play doesn't go your way but Mayfield counteracts his losses and doubts people have put on him and leaves it all on the field.
“He remembers every rejection, every slight, every team that cut him, and then he goes out and punishes them on the field. He’s been described as an ‘elite leader' who stepped in after the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady and is just doing it his way.”
This is when the Eastwood comparisons came to play as a “Bucs front office executive texted me: ‘We have Clint Eastwood playing QB.' I shot back: ‘Are you 87 years old? There’s gotta be a better comparison for Baker in 2025.' But after some quick Googling and a call to my 71-year-old dad for some explaining … turns out? It’s perfect.”
It concluded: “It’s wildly entertaining — and the Bucs keep winning because of him.”
The Buccaneers are one of six teams that are going into week four of the 2025-26 NFL season with a perfect record. The Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Indianapolis Colts also join that class alongside the Buccaneers.
Today however, the Eagles or the Buccaneers will lose their perfect record as they will be playing against one another today (Sept. 28) at 1 p.m. ET.
