Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield has gotten a lot of praise this offseason for his involvement in the Netflix series Quarterback. It has allowed for fans to get more of a behind the scenes look in several aspects of his life, including his family, game preparation and approach along with this consistent trash talking. Watching him battle through injuries also resonated with many, even those that outside of just Tampa Bay.
Apparently not everyone loves Mayfield, though. He received some harsh criticism from former Bucs running back LeSean McCoy while talking on his “Speakeasy” show, hosted by Emmanuel Acho and himself. McCoy is a former All-Pro running back that had a lot of success in his career primarily with the Eagles and Bills before ending his career with a Super Bowl on the Chiefs, followed by another Super Bowl title with the Bucs in the 2020 season.
Bucs RB LeSean McCoy – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
LeSean McCoy Slams Baker Mayfield
While Baker Mayfield has overcome a lot in his career, McCoy feels that Mayfield is a little overhyped compared to other quarterbacks in the league. Player rankings is a hot button argument this time of year, especially at quarterbacks, and Mayfield’s ranking tends to fluctuate depending on opinion. McCoy recognizes some of the accomplishments Mayfield has had, but doesn’t think it should compare to the higher ups in the league.
“Y’all blow people up like Baker Mayfield,” McCoy said. “Baker Mayfield has been above average for a very long time. Every once in a while, he has a really good year that makes people like you all talk about him. He’s a little ass dude, right? That somehow beat the odds as a walk-on, and then he gets picked first overall. I knew s**t was crazy when he was acting like he was Brett Favre [on draft day].”
“See, the problem is, when dudes are regular or above average, we want to hype ’em up,” McCoy said. “Y’all rather support and give love to guys like Baker Mayfield or Sam Darnold but disrespect guys like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.”
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Sam Navarro
What McCoy really took umbrage with Mayfield came from a moment that was highly publicized in quarterback. During the Bucs’ Week 4 home game against the Eagles at Raymond James Stadium, Mayfield got into some trash talking with Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell while the Eagles were up big 24-6. The players went back and forth as Mayfield asked Mitchell ‘Who are you?’
That plan actually backfired for Mitchell in the moment as the verbal jabs fired up Mayfield, who went on to throw a 77-yard touchdown pass to Emeka Egbuka and a 72-yard touchdown pass to Bucky Irving, helping the Bucs claw back into the game, eventually cutting it to 31-23. Mitchell would have the the last laugh, though, as the Eagles held on to win the game 31-25.
McCoy took exception to what Mayfield said given Mitchell’s status in the league.
“So now, these dudes [that are] not on the same level, are hearing y’all talk about them, and they think and feel like they can come up there and say something to Quinyon Mitchell? Like ‘Who are you?’ One dude is like an All-Pro. One of the best at the position in the league. The other guy [has] never been at, ever. He[Mayfield] gets a lot of alternate Pro Bowls. So you’re asking a guy ‘Who are you?’
LeSean McCoy goes off on Baker Mayfield for trash-talking Eagles CB Quinyon Mitchell. He says who is baker to talk like that. He’s an average or above average quarterback he can’t talk like that . He ain’t a Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson pic.twitter.com/9Eihg3RFFz
— NBA Hoops (@Thechat101) July 15, 2026
Mitchell has definitely had a lot of success early on in his career. He won a Super Bowl as rookie with the Eagles in 2024, also making the All-Rookie Team, and wound up earning first team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl nod in 2025.
What McCoy fails to bring up, though, is that Mitchell wasn’t an All-Pro player yet as that accolade was given to him after the season. At the time of that event, the Bucs and Eagles were just four games. Baker Mayfield also mentioned that he took that line from former Texans running back Arian Foster, so his comments to Mitchell were more jest.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Ray Seebeck
The idea of Mayfield not being table to say something to Mitchell because he’s an All-Pro wouldn’t make sense as timeline doesn’t match up. Mayfield would have no way of knowing he was going to be an All-Pro, and yet that’s the main basis of McCoy’s argument.
Hopefully Baker Mayfield can change McCoy’s viewpoint of him by winning more games in the 2026 season and making a deeper playoff run.