Mayfield’s Jets grievances prompt fact-check on playoff history and Panthers ties

Baker Mayfield aired grievances about the New York Jets on a Fox Sports digital program, contending that Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was responsible for the Carolina Panthers cutting him during Wilks’s tenure as interim coach. The remarks followed a Panthers tenure that included a stint in which Wilks served as interim head coach, and they drew a quick fact-check regarding how the Panthers handled personnel decisions.

Mayfield also went after Jets coach Todd Bowles, saying Bowles never mentioned certain details and suggesting Bowles was the last Jets figure to lead them to the playoffs. The Jets have not made the postseason during Bowles’s four-year tenure as head coach, and Rex Ryan remains the last Jets coach to guide the team to the playoffs. Bowles’s teams finished in the AFC East’s basement in several seasons, culminating in his firing after 2018. The comments underscore the tension between a player’s public reflections and the historical record of a franchise’s postseason history. On the same show, Mayfield referenced Haason Reddick, who joined the Buccaneers this season, noting the chaos Reddick endured and what it can mean to players who experience turbulence and turnover.

Reddick’s situation has been cited as another example, with Mayfield noting the broader impact of a player’s past experiences. The Jets reportedly took a hard line in negotiating with Reddick after trading for him, and the defensive end held out for the first seven weeks of the season. According to the discussion, Reddick’s representation shifted when Drew Rosenhaus was hired, and he subsequently worked out a new deal with the Jets in a relatively short period. While Mayfield’s characterization of those events is part of a larger pattern of public commentary about former teams, the specific sequence of Reddick’s negotiations illustrates how contract talks can unfold in the NFL when a player changes teams.

Wilks has publicly said that it was his decision to cut Mayfield, explaining that as interim Panthers coach he did not have significant authority over personnel decisions. Wilks’s clarification adds a separate layer to the conversation, highlighting how different roles within a staff can influence who stays and who goes, and how those decisions are communicated publicly. The juxtaposition of Mayfield’s statements with Wilks’s account underscores the often tangled narratives that surround players who move between teams and the officials who manage those rosters.

The exchange comes as Mayfield’s public comments continue to draw attention in a season that has already seen a number of high-profile players discussing their former teams. The remarks regarding Bowles, Wilks, and Reddick—whether viewed as grievance, clarification, or contention—reflect the way athletes increasingly use media platforms to frame their experiences in the league. As teams assess the implications of such statements, the NFL landscape remains attentive to how these narratives shape fan expectations and the perceived relationships between players, coaches, and front-office decision-makers.

As the season progresses, Mayfield’s comments may continue to provoke discussion about memory, record, and accountability in professional football, but verified timelines and personnel decisions remain anchored in documented team histories rather than individual recollections. Wilks’s own account—explicitly noting it was his decision to part ways with Mayfield—provides a counterweight to the quarterback’s portrayal, emphasizing that public statements about franchise decisions can be incomplete or contested. The Jets, Panthers, and Buccaneers are each navigating the consequences of past and present personnel moves, with fans and analysts watching to see how these narratives influence future rosters and on-field outcomes.