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Baker Mayfield's path to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was an unconventional one, but against all odds, the former 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft has found himself a home along Florida's gulf coast. Mayfield signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Bucs in March 2023, and was only expected to be the stopgap quarterback as Tampa Bay regrouped following the retirement of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
But to just about everyone's surprise, Mayfield took this opportunity and seized it, tightening a vice grip on the Buccaneers' starting quarterback job following a 4,000 yard, 28 touchdown regular season and Wild Card win over the defending NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles. For his effort, Mayfield signed an extension just one year later, and has now joined the aforementioned GOAT in a very exclusive category in Buccaneers history.
Per senior Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter Scott Smith:
“Baker Mayfield has joined Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in Buccaneers history to record consecutive seasons with 25-plus touchdown passes.”
Despite their limited tenures in Tampa Bay — Brady for three seasons, Mayfield for less than two — both of these QBs rank in the top ten in Buccaneers history in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, which speaks not only to their proficiency, but also how dire the quarterback situation has been for decades in Tampa. Aside from Brady and Mayfield, the only other quarterbacks in franchise history who have thrown for 25 touchdowns in a single season are Jameis Winston, Josh Freeman and Brad Johnson.
Baker Mayfield keeping banged up Buccaneers in Playoff picture
With each of his top two receivers — Mike Evans and Chris Godwin — missing time this season, Baker Mayfield has kept the Buccaneers hanging around, sometimes by sheer force, in the playoff picture. Going into Week 13, the 29-year-old signal caller had thrown for 2,799 yards and 24 touchdowns, 9th and 3rd in the league respectively. He's also added over 200 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
This raises what would've once seemed like a preposterous question to be asking at the start of the month of December… if the Buccaneers manage to make the Playoffs, should Baker Mayfield be in the NFL MVP race? Not that my opinion matters for much, but given how the season has progressed, Mayfield's name should at least be mentioned along with all of the other fringe candidates who currently sit behind the likes of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley.
