The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have spent all offseason building a roster that can not only make it to the playoffs, but make a run at a Super Bowl.
The Bucs have won the NFC South the last five seasons, but only one of those years ended in a Super Bowl victory and that’s when Tom Brady was still in town as the starting QB.
Baker Mayfield has revived his career as the starter in Tampa Bay over the last two seasons. In 2023, he thew for over 4,000 yards with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, finishing the year with a QB rating of 94.6.
That production was enough to earn Mayfield an extension with the Buccaneers last offseason. The former No. 1 overall pick signed a three-year deal worth $100 million, with $50 million guaranteed last March.
And he didn’t miss a beat after inking the new deal. Instead, Mayfield had an even better season in 2024, throwing for 4,5000 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He finished the year with a QB rating of 106.8.
PFF ranks Mayfield as the No. 13 QB in the NFL heading into 2025, just behind Jordan Love of the Packers and ahead of CJ Stroud of the Texans.
And while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fell short in the playoffs the last two seasons with Mayfield at QB, the front office spent the offseason trying to give him as many weapons as possible in 2025.
They made it a priority to re-sign Chris Godwin who is arguably the top No. 2 WR in the NFL when fully healthy. Then in the NFL Draft, the X selected Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka in the first round.
Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, Godwin and Egbuka are arguably the top receiving corps in the NFL and Mayfield should thrive with so many weapons at his disposal.
But with OC Liam Coen going taking the head coaching job with the Jaguars, there are some doubters who believe Mayfield may struggle, as he has done in the past with other teams.
That’s why Bleacher Report listed Mayfield as an early bold prediction to get traded before the deadline.
BR believes if Mayfield struggles early in the season, the Buccaneers will trade him to the Pittsburgh Steelers:
In this case, it’s the same idea as above but if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fall off a cliff and Baker Mayfield is at the center of that collapse.
It’s possible considering the team is generally over the hill and the talented but inconsistent Mayfield tied Cousins with a league-high 16 interceptions in 2024.
Could a contender with quarterback issues decide to roll the dice on him taking off following a change of scenery? We won’t speculate on injuries, but the Steelers and Vikings both come to mind in the event that either the Aaron Rodgers experiment blows up quickly or J.J. McCarthy gets off to a horrible start in Minnesota.
We’ll lean toward the Vikes having a longer leash with their young quarterback, because who knows what will happen with the 41-year-old Rodgers.
