Baker Mayfield to K Rodrigo Blankenship at Bucs minicamp: ‘I still don’t like you’

Rose Bowl grudges die hard. Just ask Rodrigo Blankenship. 

The veteran NFL kicker arrived at Tampa Bay Buccaneers minicamp Tuesday in hopes of securing a new job. When he crossed paths with quarterback Baker Mayfield, he was greeted with a less-than cordial welcome.

“I still don’t like you,” Mayfield said to Blankenship.

Mayfield issued the message with a dry delivery and a handshake, then walked away. ABC Action News’ Kyle Burger caught the interaction on camera.

Mayfield was almost certainly joking around with a nod to the pair's high-stakes football history on the field. 

Blankenship's Georgia Bulldogs defeated Mayfield's Oklahoma Sooners in the 2018 Rose Bowl. Blankenship connected on two of three field-goal attempts and all six of his extra-point attempts in the game. His 38-yard kick in overtime helped extend the game as the Bulldogs went on to a 54-48 victory to earn a spot in the national championship game, where they lost in overtime to Alabama. Oklahoma's season came to an end.

The loss was Mayfield's final college game before he went on to become the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Now, like Blankenship, he's fighting for a new job with the Bucs.

Mayfield maintained the comedy routine when Burger asked about the interaction during his media availability.

"You trying to bring some back?" Mayfield said with a smirk when asked if his interaction with Blankenship brought back any Rose Bowl memories. "I know you, Kyle, trying to stir s*** up."

Mayfield then left the podium with a proverbial mic drop. 

If all goes well for both players, they'll play prominent roles for the Bucs this fall. Mayfield signed with Tampa Bay in March to compete for the starting job alongside third-year pro Kyle Trask, who has backed up Tom Brady since being selected in the second round of the 2021 Draft. Reports out of Tampa give the early edge for the job to Mayfield. 

Blankenship, meanwhile, is fighting for a roster spot. He had a strong rookie season with the Indianapolis Colts in 2020, but has since been waived by the Colts and then the Cardinals last season amid inconsistency and injuries. He had surgery to repair a thigh injury in January and is in Tampa to compete for the job alongside fellow former Colts kicker Chase McLaughlin.  

As of the time of this post, there was no word from Blankenship regarding his feelings about Mayfield.