Firm Call Of Baker Mayfield Being NFL’s Sixth-Best QB
July 1st, 2025
Evaluating quarterbacks is simple for Joe. There are the QBs with enough talent, consistency and poise to win a Super Bowl — and then there’s everyone else.
That’s why Joe broke 11 windows when the Bucs announced Josh McCown would be their starter in 2014, months before opening day.
Joe still maintains Team Glazer should refund all season tickets for that season, which ended with Tampa Bay intentionally tanking at home against a division rival after losing every prior home game.
What a sadistic Bucs management team it was back then. (At least training camp was free and open to the masses).
Nowadays, the Bucs no longer have problems associated with miserable teams. They’re a first-class franchise with the sixth-best quarterback in the NFL.
Yes, Baker Mayfield ranks at No. 6. That’s where Bucs icon Rondé Barber firmly placed him recently on The Rondé Barber Show.
Per Barber, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen belong in their own tier, “your MVPs, perennial MVPs.” After that, per Barber, it’s Washington QB Jayden Daniels followed by Mayfield.
Mayfield “definitely” is better than Jordan Love, Barber says, but “give it a couple of years.” Mayfield also is better than C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford and Tua, Barber continued.
And while Barber paused when he got to Jalen Hurts, Barber still went with Mayfield, calling him a better “pure quarterback” and a better “winner.”
A better winner? “He’s beat him twice,” Barber said of Mayfield’s head-to-head games against the Eagles and Hurts.
Joe is unaware of Barber’s preferred flavor of Kool-Aid, but Joe would love a little on ice.
As for the 2025 season, Barber said he sees no hiccup coming for the Bucs’ high-octane offense.
“You got a new offensive coordinator in here but I don’t think it changes much at all,” Barber said. “… and I don’t see why [Baker] doesn’t have the same type production.
“I mean, it’s not like Baker’s getting old, man. Baker’s still has a lot of exuberance to his play, in his demeanor. I can see another 4,000-plus [yards passing], 40-touchdown year for him.”
July 1st, 2025 at 3:33 pm
Lol I love ronde but I mean come on “winner”? Jalen hurts has been to 2 Sbs and won one and is SB MVP I agree with him and baker being better and the “pure” QB but come on lol
July 1st, 2025 at 3:36 pm
baker is def top 10….
GO BUCS!!!
July 1st, 2025 at 3:40 pm
I’ve got no issue with that ranking. And I think he’s going to have a better season than last year with less INT’s.
July 1st, 2025 at 3:44 pm
I was blasted by being so positive when Baker landed here at first. Now look how far we have come. Baker has been truly ‘Born Again’ in Tampa, and we are so lucky as fans that he fell into our lap after the departure of TB12. Now we have a competitive the next decade. Go BUCS!!
July 1st, 2025 at 3:50 pm
Baker is going to BALL OUT this year to renegotiate his contract. I believe the Bucs are flush next year with the Cap. They’ll have to pay Reddick who is also going to light it up.
We are going to be the best NFC Team this year, write it down.
For all the haters, take a break. Go get some kool-aid and just shut up for a bit.
July 1st, 2025 at 3:52 pm
I think Ronde left out a name that most people in Detroit would consider to be a very good QB. Also, let’s see what Jayden Daniel’s does this year before shooting him as better than Mayfield or Goff.
July 1st, 2025 at 4:01 pm
I love it how some pundits say Baker could have a regression but his offense is actually better. Players been in the system longer, more experience for the o line and some additional receiver weapons. It’s pretty much all up to him. Minimize the turnovers and you’re good to go. If the defense can help get him the ball back a few more times, how can he not have better numbers (barring injury, knock on wood)!
July 1st, 2025 at 4:01 pm
It is amazing to me how people think if you’ve been to a superbowl you are automatically a better quaterback. It’s a team sport people. I don’t care how good you are if you don’t have the right coaches, the right teammates the right organization behind you, you aren’t going anywhere. Case in point, Dan Marino. He was one of THE greatest qb’s of all time. He won nothing. You can’t be that ignorant to think that qualifies you to be great. There have been quarterbacks that had passer ratings in the 20’s but went and won superbowls, please.
July 1st, 2025 at 4:06 pm
I really don’t like rookies being evaluated so high. It was only a year ago where people were saying Stroud was a borderline top 5 QB and what is being said now?
July 1st, 2025 at 4:24 pm
Have Jim Brown or Barry Sanders played in a superbowl? I’m not sure never playing in a superbowl is a good metric on how good one is.
July 1st, 2025 at 4:40 pm
Whatever. Just win your games and the rankings take care of themselves.
July 1st, 2025 at 4:46 pm
Interesting, outside of Mahomes none of his “top tier “has even been to a Super Bowl unless they paid to get in! ( Ronde is a nice guy but I don’t believe he could ever be considered an impartial judge ).
July 1st, 2025 at 4:49 pm
Mahomes, Jackson and Allen can carry a team and stretch plays when they break down, so can Mayfield. Don’t know if Burrow does that. Mayfield had his starting WR’s out for at least 3 games or more last year and still threw for 41 TD’s, over 4000 yds and over 70%. I don’t put Daniels over Mayfield after 1 season, certainly not better stat wise but did win the playoff game. None of it really matters unless you bring home the Trophy, otherwise it’s just a pony show.
July 1st, 2025 at 5:22 pm
Davyboy. Jim Brown won 4 championships he played before the merger!! And Barry Sanders played for Detroit with no quarterback and only 1 good receiver . But we are talking about the bucs some of us want Superbowls and we just don’t care about Baker Mayfield having good stats with no championships
July 1st, 2025 at 5:24 pm
I think Ronda’s point is Baker carries his team to more wins than Jalen.
, who has had the luxury of a good OL, running game and weapons, all combined, for the last several years. Last year was the saquon show.
July 1st, 2025 at 5:50 pm
Mayfield is better than Burrow who was run out of Ohio State because he couldn’t make the 1st team. Burrow is a great QB. Mayfield is just greater. This year will prove the point.
July 1st, 2025 at 5:52 pm
😂
July 1st, 2025 at 5:56 pm
Who ever said they were happy with our current situation?
July 1st, 2025 at 5:57 pm
Everybody wants a superbowl win and won’t be happy until
July 1st, 2025 at 6:01 pm
Yes Philly has had the #1 defense and #1 OL. Kind of hard not to be great with that
July 1st, 2025 at 6:01 pm
O’Neilbuc; Jim Brown has one NFL championship ring in 1964. The other 3 Browns NFL championships happened before he was drafted in 1957.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:03 pm
But yet we beat them by putting up 33!!!!
July 1st, 2025 at 6:03 pm
The best QB I’ve seen coming out of college the last 5 years is Jaden Daniels. Stroud isn’t in the same league. Caleb Williams came out with Daniels last year. He’s the second best QB I’ve seen coming out of college the last 5 years. The Bears with that Lions OC as their new Head Coach are going to be the most improved team in the league this year. These next 5 years those Bears and Commanders teams are going to be right in our way if we want to win some championships. Both of those QBs and our own QB have Heismann trophies at home. You can bet that all three of them would like Lombardi trophies. In this league there is only one choice- get better or lose. We’re getting better. But I know those 2 teams are getting better also. It’s gonna be a dogfight. I don’t like dogfights like Michael Vick likes dogfights. But I do like me a good dogfight.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:04 pm
Actually onei Jim Brown RETIRED before they played superbowls
July 1st, 2025 at 6:11 pm
The Super Bowl metric is tiresome and foolish. No player wins a Super Bowl by himself. The greatest NFL player of all time, Jim Brown, as Davyboy points out retired and never played in a Super Bowl. Doesn’t take any luster away from JB being considered the greatest.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:17 pm
We would have put it to Washington last year if Baker and the boys would have gotten their normal number of plays in that game. It wouldnt even been close. That is exactly why Dan Quinn devised that game plan, keep the ball out of Bakers hands, and they did. He had 18 tries and normal was 38, 50%. It wouldn’t have been close. With us only getting 50% of our normal plays and having 2 major screw ups they barely beat us. If we play them in the playoffs in 2025 it will be a different story.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:20 pm
It doesn’t matter what Barry Sanders did or didn’t have. By your standard you have to win a superbowl or your not a great quarterback. We’ll Barry never went so…
But that’s crazy because Barry Sanders was the greatest running back in the history of the game and a much better man.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:23 pm
Jim Brown retired in 1965 the first Supe Bowl was in 1967.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:24 pm
Gipper. Do you really believe JB was better than BS? I don’t know, Barry was something else. I haven’t seen JB play a whole lot man Barry Sanders.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:27 pm
When Jim Brown played there was the NFL with the AFL coming along in 1960. Jim Brown won one NFL championship in 1964. O’Neil thinks that the championships the Browns won in 1950, 1954 and 1955 included Jim Brown on the team. He wasn’t drafted until 1957. So once again Onei doesn’t have the facts straight. The Super Bowl began in the 1966 season, one year after Brown’s retirement. It was also the year he filmed The Dirty Dozen.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:34 pm
A little high in my opinion, I’d certainly take Stroud or Herbert, but I think those are the only ones I really disagree with. Hurts would be hard to pass on just because of his age, but just watching Hurts struggle time and time again vs the Bucs, it’s difficult to rank him ahead – and if we’re talking about a QB in this offense, then certainly Baker is the better fit.
Herbert is a top shelf elite QB just trapped in a bad scheme – put him in the Bucs offense with these weapons and he’s a legit MVP candidate and the Bucs are talked about as a Super Bowl team every year. Stroud, 23-years old, already had elite production, that’s a very very difficult one to pass on.
The Baker Boi(s) meanwhile literally talk about how Baker is better than Brady and Mahomes and should be #1 overall so they’re not to be taken seriously.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:48 pm
Davyboy,
Barry Sanders was sensational and certainly a Top 5 NFL historical talent. Jim Brown was the greatest of all time of that there is little doubt. Everyone on the other team knew Jim was going to get the ball 25 times a game and he still averaged over 5 yards per carry for his career. Only way to tackle Jim Brown was to gang tackle him. Through the magic of YouTube you can Google Jim Brown highlight films and see for yourself. Brown played when there were fewer games per season— mainly 12– and he still averaged well over 1000 yards per season. Jim always played, injured or otherwise. He was huge with a 32 inch waist but ran like a deer when he was in the open field. Jim got out while he was 29 and still at the top of his game.
July 1st, 2025 at 6:52 pm
There he goes again, taking half truths totally out of context. He can’t help himself. It must fill a deep seeded need… Rod
July 1st, 2025 at 6:55 pm
I will you tube him. If he was better than Barry, then he was certainly in a class of his own.
July 1st, 2025 at 7:01 pm
Davyboy,
Look at the Jim Brown DukeWilson14 Final Version YouTube. You won’t be able to stop watching it.
July 1st, 2025 at 7:08 pm
👍🏼 thanks
July 1st, 2025 at 7:28 pm
With a better defense that can get some 3-and-outs, or hold opponents to short drives, the Bucs’ offense will have much better field position. Maybe, maybe, maybe the defense will even get some turnovers (strip sacks!) and great field position.
July 1st, 2025 at 8:19 pm
Munchenstein,
Nobody that I know of has ever said that Baker was better than Brady or Mahommes. All I ever have said is that after 2026 you might take that poster of Brady with his shirt off down from your bedroom wall. What is a fact is that statistically Baker playing for far poorer teams than Brady is very similar for the 1st full 7 years of their careers. This includes Baker’s year in exile post Deshaun Watson and the prelude to Watson when Baker played the entire 2021 season with a serious shoulder injury. Now Baker is mentioned as a possible league MVP and is mentioned as a leading NFL QB. He is also the toast of Tampa. A few of us told you he would be great two years ago but you were dismissive. Not going to let you forget—-ever.
July 1st, 2025 at 8:20 pm
Most accurate list of this type so far!
Only a handful of QBs should rank above him and the best part is his play is ascending.
July 1st, 2025 at 8:46 pm
Sometimes you have to sleep in the bed you made
July 1st, 2025 at 9:27 pm
I love how Rondé cannot objectively rate an Eagles QB because of the hatred he has for that organization. I can imagine he had quite a few conversations with Tiki back in the day about the most garbage fans in football. The Eagles were responsible for breaking up our “dynasty” in back to back playoff games early in Rondés career before he finally got sweet revenge with that amazing performance and pick. Those two Philly playoff losses the two years prior were the driving force for firing Tony D. I’m sure that sticks in his craw to this day as well.
July 2nd, 2025 at 8:23 am
No credibility to this. Ronde is an inside job. How,about a,straw vote of NFL GMs? I will point out some hypocrisy of Munchy Boi and Onielbuc in that they consistent say Baker has proven nothing yet because he has not won a Superbowl. Yet b they lavish praise on Herbert who has,a,worse playoff record then Baker with the the stuck in a bad scheme excuse. They say the oppisite of Baker tgat he is only decent because of the scheme. They completely ignire the fact he thrived in the train wreck that is Cleveland unit he got injured. You complain about b the slavish praise put on Baker by his,Bois but you do the irrational opposite. As the Jesuit Fathers taught me the truth is always in the middle.
July 2nd, 2025 at 10:31 am
Better than C.J. Stroud, Justin Herbert?
Imagine if either team called the Bucs and offered a straightup trade for Mayfield … you’d take it in a heartbeat.
Mayfield is a good QB but don’t go too nuts.
July 2nd, 2025 at 10:56 am
I think the rankings are on target. I might have Mayfield ahead of Daniels last season as I watched all 17 of both franchises games (Daniel’s was my fantasy qb). But I would think that Daniels takes a major step forward in his second year. But mayfield might advance also.
July 2nd, 2025 at 12:54 pm
Sly pirate, “you’d take it in a heartbeat”. Not all of us make decisions like that without taking a little time to reflect on such a decision. You know, maybe see what your team thinks before pulling the trigger on something as important as your QB. I’m just saying if you asked the team who they would rather play with I’m thinking it would be unanimous. If you asked Licht and Bowles it would also be unanimous. Ditto for asking the Glazer family. You need to rewrite your post SlyPirate. “ Dumba$$ trolls would trade Mayfield for Herbert(orStroud) in a heartbeat”.
July 2nd, 2025 at 6:43 pm
Don’t matter if Baker Mayfield wants more respect he have to get to a conference championship game. The knock Baker Mayfield is that he’s on his 4th team. He has to at least get to a conference championship game and I really hope he does because I’m rooting for him to at least get to a Superbowl before it’s time to to rebuild.
July 2nd, 2025 at 8:09 pm
Marky mark Says:
July 2nd, 2025 at 8:23 am
No credibility to this. Ronde is an inside job. How,about a,straw vote of NFL GMs? I will point out some hypocrisy of Munchy Boi and Onielbuc in that they consistent say Baker has proven nothing yet because he has not won a Superbowl.
———-
I’ve literally never said that.
Can you Baker Boi(s) at least get your story straight.
July 2nd, 2025 at 8:12 pm
Gipper Says:
July 1st, 2025 at 8:19 pm
Munchenstein,
Nobody that I know of has ever said that Baker was better than Brady or Mahommes.
———–
Use this thing called google, and just search this site for comments about Baker, Mahomes and Brady and then tell me what I’m saying isn’t true. You will find hundreds of examples of it.
July 2nd, 2025 at 8:50 pm
Okay Rod. I have said I prefer Baker’s game to Brady’s game. I have also said Brady is the Goat. And I really respect and like Brady. It’s Belidunce that gets me. And I’m with the Sage who believes the first stat for the QB is winning. And go Bucs!
July 3rd, 2025 at 7:51 am
I agree with the the top 4. But I’ll take Baker over Daniels every day of the week.
Right now Baker is number 5
July 3rd, 2025 at 8:50 am
Rod is doing it again, there is no body saying Baker is better than Brady, nobody, let alone HUNDREDS 😂 WOW he just says what comes into his narrsicctic mind. No wonder no one cares what he says, you can’t trust him to speak the truth.
The bottom line is, even if they did, which they haven’t, but if they did, they would be considered really ignorant of Brady’s accomplishments. Because Brady IS the G. O. A. T. and most likely always will be, period.