NFL gives Rams the chance to make Baker Mayfield instantly regret leaving

Will Baker Mayfield regret not staying?

It's been a long time for either team since their last Thanksgiving game. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it has been a 19-year drought. That's about what you might expect, as the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions host a Thanksgiving Day game annually. That had only afforded opportunities to 30 other teams to appear annually.

But eyebrows certainly are raised when you realize that it has been a 50-year drought for the Los Angeles Rams since the team last competed on Thanksgiving Day. Even more befuddling is realizing that the Rams were not invited to compete in a Thanksgiving Day game, despite their Greatest Show on Turf era, and despite the phenomenal success of the Rams under HC Sean McVay since 2017:

So, in many ways, the NFL is righting a historic oversight that has been borderline disrespectful to the Rams.

While Baker Mayfield certainly had the opportunity to stay on with the LA Rams and compete as the team's backup quarterback, the reignited passion to play football made that all but impossible. Now that Mayfield enjoyed playing football once more, he wanted to sign on with a team that could promise him a real shot at competing for a starting role. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fresh off the retirement of veteran QB Tom Brady, could do that.

Since that time, Baker Mayfield has led the Buccaneers to two winning seasons and two consecutive playoff appearances. In 2023, the Bucs won the NFC South Division with a record of 9-8. They defeated the Philadelphia Eagles before falling to the Detroit Lions in the postseason.

He led the Buccaneers to a 10-7 record in 2024, but this time lost to the Washington Commanders in the postseason.

Will the third time be the charm for Bucs QB Baker Mayfield? Or will the slow wear-and-tear on his body and soul deflate his football fervor once more?