Welcome to the good, the bad, and the brilliant. In this series, we will break down what a good, bad, and brilliant season would look like for different facets of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ organization. The Tampa Bay Bucs will be heading into the 2025 season as winners of the NFC South for the fourth consecutive year. For their quarterback, Baker Mayfield, what would constitute a good season? Conversely, what might leave fans shaking their heads? What is brilliance for a quarterback coming off 41
touchdowns a season ago? Introducing the good, the bad, and the brilliant: Featuring Baker Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield: The Good
There has been a lot more good than bad with Baker Mayfield since he arrived in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers’ quarterback began re-writing the narrative of his career in 2023, when he led the Tampa Bay Bucs to a 9-8 record, and a division crown, on the back of 28 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions.
A major criticism of the pre-Tampa Bay version of Baker Mayfield was his ability to remain consistent. Throughout his time in Cleveland, Mayfield was often capable of putting together high-quality seasons, only to follow them up with underwhelming sequels. The NFL has only witnessed ‘Tampa Baker’ for two seasons now but the two seasons have represented his best run as a pro athlete. Mayfield has compiled 8,544 yards, 69 touchdowns, and just 26 interceptions. It feels as though, after not only repeating his success from 2023, but taking a step forward a season ago, Baker Mayfield has turned over a new leaf. No longer is he viewed a talented player with potential, who may or may not be relied upon, but rather a franchise quarterback and a building block for an organization.
For Tampa’s new found leader, a good season is just more of the same. Baker Mayfield has not had a bad one since donning the red and pewter. If his 2025 looks anything like his 2024 or his 2023 performance than the Buccaneers will have chance in every game they play this season and should find themselves knee-deep in the playoff hunt come December.
Baker Mayfield: The Bad
The bad might not be as obvious as it was a few Augusts ago— Tampa Bay is lockstep behind Mayfield. The team (and fans) are no longer in an evaluation period with him as a player, but rather in a position of expectation.
Baker Mayfield’s 2024 campaign was not only a career year for him personally but also one of the best passing seasons in franchise history. 2025 does not need to look like that to be considered a good season, in fact at least a minor statistical step backward is likely, just due to how impressive Mayfield was a season ago. That minor decline in touchdowns or yardage won’t cause any unrest amongst Buccaneers’ nation as long as their passer is still under center and playing at a franchise quarterback level.
For Baker Mayfield, the bad is an injury— Time missed due to an unnecessary collision, or a steep decline in his level of play because rather than miss time, Mayfield decides to try and tough it out when he really isn’t able to. Baker Mayfield is an undersized NFL athlete and he is also a collision prone player. Whether it’s his extension of plays in the pocket, or his willingness to tuck the ball and run people over, he can be a high contact player at times. His decision to play recklessly, with his body, is one that can get him in trouble in 2025. Missed time would make 2025 a bad season for Baker Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield: The Brilliant
For NFL quarterbacks, statistics can only hold you up so high— The ultimate measuring stick is winning. Patrick Mahomes stands alone amidst the current NFL landscape, however, Baker Mayfield is not in the Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, or Josh Allen tier of passer where every year is Super Bowl or bust. He nestles into the tier right beneath them where it is certainly playoffs or bust.
Tampa Bay has expectations. Baker Mayfield has proven himself capable, the team around him strong, and should be a contender. If Mayfield wants to have a truly brilliant season it must be remembered for a postseason berth and subsequent deep playoff run, that features wins against high-ranking NFC opponents. A 10-win season followed by a loss in round one is no longer an illustrious success, it has become the expectation. Pressure and expectations are oftentimes not viewed as a privilege, however, in the case of Mayfield and the 2025 Tampa Bay Bucs, that expectation of success is representative of just how far both he and the team have a come. In order for 2025 to brilliant, Baker Mayfield and his Buccaneers must be featured in a deep playoff run.
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