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

You can't write a better Hollywood script

Before arriving at the LA Rams, QB Baker Mayfield had earned a record of 29-30 with the Cleveland Browns, and a 1-5 record in six starts with the Carolina Panthers. He showed up to buoy the Rams to victory against the Las Vegas Raiders, but would only get one victory as a starter for the Rams. So, what changed for him as he competed for the Los Angeles Rams? He did not win many games.

But nobody expected him to win. The bar was simply set for him to compete as well as he could. After all, he was throwing to WRs Ben Skowronek, Van Jefferson, and TE Brycen Hopkins, while getting run support from RB Cam Akers, none of whom remain on the Rams roster today.

So when we talk about Baker Mayfield as though he were an outcast of the NFL in 2022, it's not simply that he was no longer the favored topic of the national NFL media. He was plopped onto an injury-decimated Rams roster to get as much out of the offense as reasonably possible.

He delivered on Christmas Day, putting up 51 points against a very stingy Denver Broncos defense. The very next day, the Broncos fired HC Nathaniel Hackett. The Broncos fell to 4-11 under Coach Hacekett's watch that season.

While the Rams' offensive outburst on Christmas night caught the NFL by surprise, the more shocking event in Mayfield's short chapter as the Rams quarterback was his come-from-behind victory against the Raiders. Despite having to drive the football 98 yards with no time-outs and time running out, Mayfield engineered a game-winning drive on little sleep and a crash-course on the Rams' offense.

It's a tale that not only put Baker Mayfield back on the NFL's radar, but also skyrocketed the careers of both Liam Coen (Rams OC at the time) and Zach Robinson (QB coach at the time). And it's one that I never tire of hearing. If you want to get the scoop from Baker Mayfield himself, check out his embedded video interview below:

And yet, the final chapter seems rather anti-climactic. Mayfield found his Cinderella tale comeback with the Los Angeles Rams. But he instantly leveraged his rekindled passion for football to earn the starting QB spot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He has found success. But so have the Rams. And this team is less about a homecoming welcome to the former Rams quarterback and more about getting what may be the final shot at a Super Bowl victory for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Baker Mayfield made a choice that he felt was the best option for his career at the time. But was it really? That's what we will explore next.