After creating some magic this past season, Dave Canales and Baker Mayfield are suddenly division rivals. (That is, of course, assuming the latter is back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024).
Nonetheless, the respect and admiration remains.
Mayfield spoke with NFL Network national reporter Cameron Wolfe at Friday’s Pro Bowl Games event. Wolfe brought up Mayfield’s now-former offensive coordinator in Canales, whom the veteran passer believes will shine as the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
“He’s an unbelievable guy,” he said of Canales. “Somebody that is truly authentic and optimistic about everything, that it brings a different aspect of football . . . it’s rare. The first guy I’ve ever been around that shows up with the same positive attitude every single day and it doesn’t waver at all. They’re gonna get a guy that his infectious personality—it’s gonna go throughout the building.”
That infectious personality may have helped Mayfield to his best NFL season. With Canales calling the plays, he notched career-highs in completion percentage (64.3), passing yards (4,044) and passing touchdowns (28) while leading the Bucs to a third straight NFC South title.
