Baker Mayfield And The MVP Award
June 30th, 2025
Changing the narrative.
Behind the scenes, and sometimes not-so-behind-the-scenes, Bucs types grumble (or more than grumble) that folks don’t put them on the same pedestal as other top teams when it comes to national media pandering and chatter.
That’s slowly beginning to change. If nothing else, Kay Adams has begun hyping the Bucs. That’s worth something, right?
The Bucs folks have a point. How many teams have been to the playoffs five straight years, winning a Super Bowl and four straight division titles?
The Chiefs and the Bucs. That’s it.
Part of the reason the Bucs seem like an afterthought with many in the Fourth Estate is quarterback Baker Mayfield. When Tom Brady was here, he was an international superstar. Oh yeah, and he had six rings, too.
For sure, the Bucs were going to get a lot of run then. Any team with Brady would be in the brightest spotlight. Unfortunately, in many of our lifetimes, the Bucs likely will never match that height of international exposure.
In comes Mayfield and he was largely dismissed as yet another No. 1 overall draft pick who flamed out. Joe predicted it would take three years of stellar play (and maybe a playoff run) for Mayfield to reverse that narrative.
We may be on the cusp of that.
Former NFL defensive back and NFL scout, Bucky Brooks, typing for NFL.com, suggested if Mayfield posts numbers he did last year and the Bucs are on their way to winning the division, it’s time for Mayfield to be seriously discussed as one of the best players in the NFL.
Current odds to win MVP: +4000
If Mayfield matches his 2024 numbers (71.4% completion rate, 4,500 passing yards with 41 touchdowns) and the Buccaneers win the NFC South for the fifth year in a row, I won’t be surprised if the former No. 1 overall pick rises to the top of the MVP conversation. This offseason Tampa Bay added another talented pass catcher (first-round pick Emeka Egbuka) to a stellar supporting cast that features a pair of rugged Pro Bowlers (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin) with exceptional ball skills and playmaking ability. With Bucky Irving commanding attention as a big-play specialist in the backfield, Mayfield can rack up impressive production directing an explosive offense built on low-risk throws to a collection of dynamic weapons. With the Bucs climbing the ranks as a dark-horse contender, Mayfield could ride off with the league’s top honor at season’s end.
Still, when you read/hear national media types discuss Mayfield, it is sort of in the same manner as Brock Purdy. They shrug their shoulders and kind of groan, “Yeah, but… ” Almost as if they have to take out the trash in order to give Mayfield his props.
So what would it take for Mayfield (and the Bucs) to accomplish this, getting Mayfield involved in MVP discussions? Well, win games, soitenly, and play top-shelf football.
But it is more than that. Mayfield has to win over the minds of those who vote for this award. Win high-profile games against high-profile teams. Play well in prime time.
Clobber the Jets. Beat the Eagles and Lions. Slap around the Rams. (A win over the Bills would open eyes, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.).
Do all of that (no small feats) and the narrative of Mayfield being a washed-out former No. 1 overall pick who had a fluke good year or two in Florida will fade away. Finally.
June 30th, 2025 at 5:15 am
What also comes to mind is health . If bake stays healthy & a few out there do not then we might see it . Lamar , Allen, burrow would have to go down all the while the bucs win & bake cooks . Go bucs
June 30th, 2025 at 5:42 am
I’d rather win a SB than see Baker get the MVP. League MVP is for losers, see Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. I don’t want Baker to be in their class, I want him to be what Mahommes is, a superbowl winner. I’d rather Baker be talked about like Hurts, a superbowl winner. Really, the NFL MVP is a joke. Being the MVP of the superbowl winner is the true MVP.
June 30th, 2025 at 5:56 am
Baker is the improved version of Jim Plunkett. Fully agree that another solid season will finally rinse the taste out of the mouths of all the talking heads. Wouldn’t it be great if someone would do an analysis of all the coaches involved in some of these high draft picks flame outs. Where would Mahomes be if he’d been drafted by Chicago or Arizona? Baker failing to make an impact in Cleveland and Carolina was a much on the coaches as anyone else and yet…. Crickets.
June 30th, 2025 at 7:43 am
Baker is gonna hit 5000yds this season.
June 30th, 2025 at 7:48 am
I’m with Joe, the opinion of Bake will rise like a loaf of bread if he plays well in the big national, night games. Bowles needs to figure out the night games and end-of-game management. (He hired the specialist from JAX – right Joe?) Bake has been OK in the big games, but he does have games where he plays down to a perceived lower competition (Carolina, Denver). Win the night games and one-score games, and opinions will rise like Baker’s bread.
June 30th, 2025 at 7:53 am
Play efficiently and don’t turn the ball over to the point you average 1 per game by seasons end. That’ll be a good place to start.
June 30th, 2025 at 8:02 am
The main reason I see Baker and the Bucs get disregarded is the “Yeah, but it’s the NFC South” argument. Plus the fact that they had to eke out the division title late in the season. If they want respect, they’re going to have win the division going away.
June 30th, 2025 at 8:12 am
Joe why not talk about winning Superbowls or even making it to the NFC Championship? Even if he win the MVP which I doubt it if we don’t make it to at least the conference championship game or to the Superbowl what does it matter? Man I just don’t understand this fan base all y’all want to do is win a trash division and lose in the first or second round in the playoffs but as long as Baker Mayfield has a good regular season y’all happy. But y’all call the fans who wants to win championships and Superbowls Baker Mayfield haters!!
June 30th, 2025 at 8:15 am
Hodad Says:
June 30th, 2025 at 5:42 am
“I’d rather win a SB than see Baker get the MVP. ”
THIS.
There are certain honors Bucs will never see: League Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, etc.
There is a bias against the Bucs that won’t go away…unless…we win multiple Superbowls in a short time span. Win one? “The Bucs got lucky” or “The other teams were bad” or “Easy schedule”
Win 2 Superbowls in a 4 year span?
That establishes the Bucs as a true threat.
June 30th, 2025 at 8:42 am
The Bucs are one of only seven teams to win multiple Superbowls this century. Of those, we are ranked 6th. If we win another, we move to top 3. One more, and only the Pats will jave more, but we would be the best of current competitive teams.
Winning Superbowls is the only way past the bias.
We have a very good team…almost great. Any top-teir QB would love to be where Baker is.
We have a young OL that is among the best. We have THE BEST WR group. We have a decent RB group. We have an okay TE group.
As of 2024, you could make the claim that our defense was slightly below average.
As of 2025, on paper, you could make the claim that the Bucs got 2-3 games better, and that is mainly because the defense finally got attention.
2-3 games better normally would be great, but the national media sees our division as one of, if not the, weakest division in football.
In my lifetime, which is not much longer, I would like to see the Bucs have:
• an undefeated season
• win 2 or more Superbowls
• reach dynasty status
• a coach named NFL Coach of the Year
June 30th, 2025 at 8:44 am
• win 2 or more ADDITIONAL Superbowls
June 30th, 2025 at 9:04 am
That would take too much “thinking” TB
June 30th, 2025 at 9:10 am
Onielbuc how do you know this fan base Is happy to crash out in the second round? I failed mind reading 101. Tell me what will be the price of Ford stock be in one year? I can use your clairvoyant skillz. You also tipped your hand as not being a Bucs fan but an outside agenda driven trouble maker by referring to “this fan base” as opposed to our fan base or us or we. You outed yourself a long time ago when you once actually posted that Watson and Fields were better than Baker. You are as irrational anti Baker as some people are irrational Baker lovers. Bottom line is Baker was and is the best option available given the salary cap situation. To their credit The Glazers did not tank after Brady retired to get a hi first round pick. Baker is less of a gamble than any college kid. Having xaid that I think we should pick.up a labor day cast off such as SanderS or Dylan or even Pickens as the Browns have way too many QBs. Hey picking up Browns cast offs worked for us before.
June 30th, 2025 at 9:12 am
– Baker MVP
– Bucs win Superbowl
June 30th, 2025 at 9:13 am
Oneilbuc
Thank you speaking logically. I want to see this TEAM get out of the first round at home and win a trash division convincingly. No 6-7 game losing streaks in the middle of the season. Win a championship and worry about the awards later.
June 30th, 2025 at 9:22 am
Its all about Playoff Wins. Baker has 1 with the Bucs. Lets get to Conference Championship then we can talk