The Left encourages professional athletes to “use their platforms.”
But that’s only if they align with a leftist worldview.
And this Buccaneer NFL star just issued a bold statement that threw the sports media into an existential crisis.
Rise of secularism
The Left has become increasingly hostile toward Christianity.
Each year, there are multiple absurd stories about local officials in some Democrat strongholds trying to play the role of the Grinch and stamp out Christmas celebrations.
Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey admitted that he’s seen colleagues afraid to express their faith because it could hurt their careers.
He told Joe Rogan in a podcast interview, “I have had moments where I was on stage receiving an award in front of my peers in Hollywood, and there were people in the crowd that I have prayed with before dinners many times, and when I thanked God, I saw some of those people go to clap, but then notice that, ‘bad thing on my resume’ and then sit back on their hands.”
However, some professional athletes boldly share their belief in Christ.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield recently did that during an interview with Sports Spectrum.
Mayfield said, “God taught me a lesson. He had to take my career down to the studs and make me realize that I’m more than a football player. . .There’s much more going on than the game of football. For me to see that, I had to hit rock bottom.”
Mayfield was the number one overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
His career got off to a promising start, but things fell apart in Cleveland, and he was shipped off to the Carolina Panthers.
Things went from bad to worse, and Mayfield asked to be released from the Panthers.
He had a brief stint as a backup for the Los Angeles Rams before getting an opportunity to revive his career in Tampa.
Mayfield led the Buccaneers to the playoffs in 2023, and signed a three-year $100 million extension.
He led the Buccaneers to the playoffs again in 2024.
Mayfield’s faith
Mayfield continued, “There’s that 99% of you that you can put on a façade as a guy. You put on the mask, but behind closed doors, who are you really? What are you hiding? Until my career got stripped down, I was hiding a lot. For me to climb back up, I had to dive into the Word.”
He added that his faith walk is “constant work because the enemy is out to get you.”
Mayfield also shared, “Jesus is obviously the Son of God. But it is grace, it’s perfection. Somebody that sacrificed everything that gave us this opportunity to live life. For me, when you say he’s your Lord and Savior, you proclaim it whenever you can. . .But he’s the reason we’re here, and the story of Jesus walking among the flesh, the only perfect man and to be sacrificed on the cross and die for our sins forever. And when you accept that grace, it’s an unbelievable feeling.”
“Jesus is grace, perfection. Somebody that sacrificed everything.”
Our latest Sports Spectrum pod is out now and features Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield sharing his story of faith, football, marriage and parenting. Tune in. pic.twitter.com/vHtDhi1qfK
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) March 21, 2025
Mayfield’s expression of faith is important in a culture that is being dragged in the opposite direction by the secular Left.
Stay tuned to Unmuzzled News for any updates to this ongoing story.
