Heading into the 2023 NFL season, no division in football was more difficult to forecast than the NFC South, and perhaps the most unpredictable team in that division was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers were coming off an NFC South title and had to contend with the loss of future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady. Experts were not sure whether veteran Baker Mayfield or rookie Kyle Trask would start at quarterback for Tampa.

But the 2023 season has made it clear that Baker Mayfield is the quarterback of the future for the Bucs. Mayfield led Tampa Bay to five wins in its last six games to secure a third straight division title. Then in the playoffs, he was phenomenal in a Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles before narrowly falling short of an upset victory over the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.

With Mayfield entering free agency this offseason, here is why the Buccaneers must re-sign him and make him their quarterback of the future.

Baker Mayfield wants to return to Bucs in 2024

Found his groove down the stretch

Baker Mayfield finished the year with 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns — both career bests — to go with a passer rating of 94.6 and just 10 interceptions. He played his best football near the end of the season and in the playoffs. From Weeks 9 to 16, Mayfield had a passer rating of 102.7 with 16 touchdowns and four picks.

In the postseason, he upped his game, posting a passer rating of 106.8 across the two contests. Tom Brady's passer rating in a Buccaneers uniform? 89.8. Despite the late pick, Mayfield did everything he could to try and will the Bucs to victory against the Lions — totaling the third-most passing yards in a postseason game for the franchise.

Baker Mayfield's achievements this season are even more impressive considering that Tampa Bay had the worst rushing offense in the NFL for the second year in a row. How many teams can they made the playoffs and won a game with the league's worst ground game? Tom Brady's Bucs made the postseason last year and could not win a game. That speaks volumes to the success that Mayfield had in Tampa Bay this year.

Unparalleled leadership

Many folks around the NFL did not expect much from the Buccaneers this season. While the team still had big names like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on offense and Devin White and Antoine Winfield on defense, the offensive line was mediocre and the rest of the team had significant holes.

For man than half of the season, those experts appeared to be right. The Bucs were 3-7 and had lost six of their last seven contests after opening the season at 3-1. But even in those toughest days, Baker Mayfield was on the sidelines giving instructions, working with his teammates, and giving them the confidence to succeed.

Mayfield was a noticeable vocal leader for this Buccaneers teams — something the team desperately needed after the departure of Tom Brady. That is not an ability that can be taught; it is something that Mayfield intangibly possesses. Mayfield took responsibility for his failures and was quick to distribute credit for the team's success.

His play with his arm was crucial to the Buccaneers' success this season, but the team probably does not reach the level of success it achieved this season without Baker Mayfield's leadership. Mayfield proved himself to be the Buccaneers' QB moving forward, now the franchise must take the steps to re-sign.