Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield wore a Michigan Wolverines jersey during a press conference on Wednesday, referencing a recent college football matchup between his former team, the Oklahoma Sooners, and the Wolverines.
The gesture followed a friendly wager with Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, whose son, Troy Bowles, plays for Michigan. The Wolverines defeated the Sooners 17-10 in Week 1, prompting Mayfield’s playful attire. Bowles was seen humming the Michigan fight song off-camera as Mayfield spoke.
Mayfield acknowledged the loss, stating, “That hurts. That hurts real bad. It’s been a rough couple of days.” He added that Bowles “didn’t buy it” for him and likely had “something worse” planned in response.
Mayfield, who played for Oklahoma from 2014 to 2017 and won the 2017 Heisman Trophy, explained the jersey choice: “Oklahoma versus Michigan. Yeah, Todd’s son was on the winning side of it, Sooners were not. Therefore, I squeezed into this old tank top.”
The Buccaneers opened their season with a 33-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Mayfield struggled, throwing no touchdown passes and losing three fumbles, including one near the goal line. The team is set to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.
Troy Bowles, a linebacker for Michigan, recorded nine tackles and a fumble recovery in the Wolverines’ Week 1 win over Oklahoma. The game was decided by a last-second Hail Mary touchdown after a controversial call extended the clock.
Mayfield signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Buccaneers in August, making him one of the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks. Coach Bowles, entering his second season with Tampa Bay, faces pressure to guide the team to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2023.