It’s onerous to imagine that franchises just like the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers didn’t really feel Baker Mayfield might proceed to be a part of their organizations.
The Browns and Panthers are among the many worst-run franchises within the NFL. If both of these groups determine anyone can’t play, you want to get second, third and fourth opinions to verify their evaluation is on the mark.
Mayfield is about to play his second recreation of his third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night time in opposition to the host Houston Texans and no one views him the way in which he was checked out in 2021 and 2022.
Mayfield has guided Tampa Bay to the postseason in every of the previous two seasons, profitable one recreation in 2023 and developing empty final season.
His improvement right into a stable quarterback is likely one of the causes the Buccaneers are considered as favorites within the NFC South. In actual fact, Mayfield is the perfect quarterback within the division.
General, Mayfield isn’t a High 10 quarterback however he’s a part of the subsequent tier.
The great is that he established profession bests for completion share (71.4) and landing passes (41) final season.
He has at all times had a powerful arm with accuracy price on brief and medium throws. Mayfield additionally retains rising as a frontrunner.
The dangerous is that he led the NFL with 16 interceptions in 2024. Too many dangerous throws, usually because of being overly aggressive.
Shaky decision-making has plagued Mayfield, significantly when he tossed a career-worst 21 interceptions and accomplished lower than 60 p.c of his passes in 2019 for the Browns.
Oh yeah, Cleveland.
The Browns took him No. 1 total within the 2018 draft after Mayfield received the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma.
In his third season, he seemed like the true deal as he threw 26 landing passes in opposition to eight interceptions.
However there’s additionally this: The Browns have one playoff win since they re-entered the NFL in 1999.
The quarterback to ship that was Mayfield, who guided Cleveland to 48 factors in a postseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 10, 2021.
These have been glad instances within the Mayfield/Browns relationship. Mayfield starred in Progressive commercials through which he was depicted as residing at then-First Vitality Stadium.
And why not? It did look like he was going to personal the place for a very long time.
However he regressed the subsequent season and so did the crew and all of the sudden he was traded to the Panthers.
He bottomed out with Carolina, going 1-5 in six begins and being let go through the season.
In the meantime, Tom Brady retired following the 2022 season so the Buccaneers wanted a quarterback.
They took a flier on Mayfield on a one-year, $4 million deal plus incentives. Mayfield made certain there was no drop-off in quarterback manufacturing by topping 4,000 passing yards every of the previous two seasons and throwing for 69 touchdowns, together with a career-best 41 final season.
Simply 12 months after Mayfield’s arrival, the Bucs gave him a three-year, $100 million deal.
Now Mayfield, 30, is entrenched because the starter of the Buccaneers. He tossed three scoring passes in Tampa Bay’s season-opening win over the Atlanta Falcons and appears primed for one more massive season.
The subsequent step is whether or not or not Mayfield can information Tampa Bay on a deep postseason run. He has made the playoffs in three of his seven NFL seasons and has a 2-3 beginning report within the postseason.
The Buccaneers might be challenged by the Falcons within the NFC South however the New Orleans Saints and Panthers are lengthy photographs. It will be a disappointment if Tampa Bay misses the playoffs. However can the Bucs make a run?
So is it truthful to count on an NFC Championship Recreation look when prognosticators let you know the Philadelphia Eagles (for certain) and others just like the Detroit Lions, Inexperienced Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are higher bets to get there?
It positively is truthful. That Brady man led a fifth-seeded Bucs’ squad to a blowout 31-9 Tremendous Bowl win over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs within the 2020 season.
Historical past won’t repeat however a now-secure Mayfield ought to have his sights on a large playoff breakthrough. He’s due.
