Baker Mayfield’s path to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was unconventional, but against all odds, the former 1st overall pick in the NFL Draft has found a home on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Mayfield signed a one-year, prove-it contract 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 almost everyone’s surprise, Mayfield took that opportunity and seized it, cementing the job as the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback after a 4,000-yard, 28-touchdown win in the regular season and a Wild Card win over the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles who held the hand. For his efforts, Mayfield signed an extension just a year later and is now tied with the aforementioned GOAT in a very exclusive category in Buccaneers history.

According to Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead reporter Scott Smith:

“Baker Mayfield joins Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in Buccaneers history to throw more than 25 touchdown passes in consecutive seasons.”

Despite their limited tenures in Tampa Bay – Brady for three seasons, Mayfield for less than two – these two QBs rank in the top ten in Buccaneers history in both passing yards and passing touchdowns, which is not limited to them Can points out, but also how the quarterback situation in Tampa has been dire for decades. Aside from Brady and Mayfield, Jameis Winston, Josh Freeman and Brad Johnson are the only other quarterbacks in franchise history to score 25 touchdowns in a single season.

Baker Mayfield keeps the Buccaneers on their toes in the playoff picture

With each of his top two receivers — Mike Evans and Chris Godwin — missing time this season, Baker Mayfield has kept the Buccaneers in the playoffs, sometimes through sheer force. Entering Week 13, the 29-year-old signal caller had thrown for 2,799 yards and 24 touchdowns, ranking 9th and 3rd in the league, respectively. He also has over 200 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

This raises a question that once seemed absurd at the start of December: If the Buccaneers manage to make the playoffs, should Baker Mayfield be in the running for NFL MVP? Not that my opinion matters much, but given how the season has gone, Mayfield’s name should at least be mentioned along with all the other fringe candidates currently behind guys like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley.