Browns-Buccaneers Matchup Sunday Is More than Just Baker Mayfield Facing His Old Team
Mayfield faces his former team as both 0-1 clubs try to recover from opening losses and avoid an early skid.
- On Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet at Raymond James Stadium with both teams winless. Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield face off as starting quarterbacks for the first time.
- The Browns traded Mayfield to the Carolina Panthers in 2022 to acquire Watson, signing him to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Mayfield revived his career with Tampa Bay, earning a $165 million extension.
- Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, Mayfield's teammate from 2018 to 2021, expressed motivation to intercept his 'good friend' Sunday. Coach Todd Monken praised Mayfield as 'highly intelligent,' acknowledging his elite-level play since leaving Cleveland.
- Both teams seek their first win after season-opening defeats at 1 p.m. EDT. Watson completed 16 of 22 passes for 205 yards in Cleveland's 34-10 loss to Jacksonville.
- Watson faces mounting pressure to stabilize Cleveland's offense and preserve his starting role. A loss could jeopardize his tenure after the Browns' 0-1 start to the 2026 season.
55 Articles
55 Articles
Baker Mayfield doesn’t need extra motivation facing the Browns - Regional Media News
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Baker Mayfield doesn't need extra motivation after a turnover-filled performance in Week 1. His former team provides it anyway. Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday in their home opener after starting the season with [...]
Baker Mayfield Gets Honest About His Time With Browns
(Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) The Cleveland Browns get set to face a familiar name this weekend when they travel to Tampa Bay, and Baker Mayfield spent part of his week reflecting on his years wearing orange and brown before the Buccaneers host his former team. Mayfield’s tenure in Cleveland remains one of the more complicated chapters in franchise history, filled with both a long-awaited playoff breakthrough and an eventual split that …
The Toronto Star
Browns-Buccaneers matchup Sunday is more than just Baker Mayfield facing his old team
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield has become the leader and face of the franchise the Cleveland Browns hoped for when they drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018.
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Baker Mayfield eyeing revenge as Buccaneers host Browns
Browns first-year head coach Todd Monken has seen it all before.Monken said he thinks the Mayfield-Browns relationship might have ended differently had he handled certain things better. He even admitted that he tried for a reunion with Mayfield after M...
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