Baker Mayfield = “The NFC Mahomes”
October 15th, 2025
So retired NFL bloviator and NBC super insider Peter King has bad information on Baker Mayfield but a strong assessment.
As Joe wrote last week, King won’t go away. He won’t disappear into that good NFL night.
King continues to slow talk on Let’s Go, the SiriusXM NFL show with Jim Gray.
This week, King rambled about how he was extra down on Mayfield because Rams head coach Sean McVay didn’t want him after the 2022 season.
(Meanwhile, multiple Rams employees told Joe and Ira Kaufman at subsequent NFL owners meetings that the Rams would have been happy to keep Mayfield but Mayfield wanted to be a starter and Matthew Stafford was their guy.)
For King, McVay rejecting you from the club is a bad sign.
“And then at the end of [2022], Sean McVay chose not to keep him as a backup. … The point I’m making is that, you know, I just thought to myself, ‘Well, you know, if Sean McVay thinks that there’s some reason why he doesn’t want him either short or long term, that says something to me,” King said.
“I really respect Sean McVay, his judgment on quarterbacks. And it wasn’t really the right time for the Rams to take him, but the fact that McVay let him go and then he went to Tampa said something to me.”
Clearly, that’s why King angrily tripled-down on his Bucs-will-suck prediction for the 2023 season.
That’s all changed. Now, King sees a dominant force in Mayfield, a guy capable of changing games no matter who is on the field with him.
“To me, he’s the NFC Mahomes right now,” King said.
“He’s very hard to hem in the pocket. His instincts are so good right now. You can see it. He trusts his legs — when he has to move, when he has to stay. He’ll take a big hit and he delivers the ball so well downfield. This is peak Baker Mayfield. This is the guy who, John Dorsey, then the GM of the Cleveland Browns [in 2018] drafted him first overall, this is the quarterback he thought that he was drafting. And right now, to me, after six weeks, I don’t have one anymore, but if I had an MVP vote, he’d get my MVP.”
Joe loved that Mahomes analogy for Mayfield, at least through the last six games. It has been very Mahomes-like.
October 15th, 2025 at 10:35 am
keep taking deep shots down the field…
i like the loosie goosie play…keep opponents on their toes…
we have so many offensive weapons and going short intermediate and long is a really good look for the offense…
work detroit to the bone mr. grizzz
October 15th, 2025 at 10:38 am
throw the God damn kitchen sink at them on monday night in front of a national audience…
what do we have to lose other than the game…?
we should squeak one out in new orleans the week after, before the bye…so who cares, load up the kitchen sink into the cargo area of the bucs charter flight and just unleash the beast on them
October 15th, 2025 at 10:46 am
I’ve said before, Brady is the Goat and took us to the SB. But, Baker is the best “permanent” QB the Bucs have EVER had! I thought he could have been good when we rescued him but not this good.
October 15th, 2025 at 11:02 am
I am not dreaming, right? This is real life, right? I was always positive about us signing Mayfield but this is just next level. Go Bake and Krewe!!!!
October 15th, 2025 at 11:26 am
So far so good!! One game at a time!! The MNF game is winnable!! Get it done!!! LFG!
October 15th, 2025 at 11:31 am
Mayfield >Mahomes at least in big college shoot out when Baker threw 7TD’s to beat Mahomes. Baker hasn’t had the supporting cast that MaHomes has enjoyed. Hopefully that has changed permanently. Nonsense to rank QB’s on Super Bowl appearances. It is the ultimate team game. By Super Bowl absurd standards Trent Dilfer was a better QB than Dan Marino?
October 15th, 2025 at 11:32 am
Interesting…. King claimed that McVey ‘didn’t want’ Mayfield as a backup, when in reality, Mayfield didn’t want to be a backup…
October 15th, 2025 at 11:43 am
Mahomes has the referees, so he’s got that going for him, which is nice
October 15th, 2025 at 11:52 am
King had no idea what McVey thought of Mayfield? That’s journalistic malpractice. Mayfield’s last game with McVey Mayfield hung 55 points on a Broncos defense that ranked 5th in the league in points against. Of course McVey couldn’t keep Baker. But McVey gave Baker what he needed after Carolina. A starting gig. A chance. They did each other right. When Stafford retires you can bet McVey will check on Mayfield. But McVey knows Mayfield ain’t going anywhere else. Because he’s at home now. Now let’s resign White and Otten and quit fooling around. Evans has to get his 1000 and we’ve got a first round bye to secure. Dang Distractions!
October 15th, 2025 at 11:56 am
Didn’t King retire? If not he should retire. If so, he should stay retired.
October 15th, 2025 at 11:57 am
Estaban85 “sees a fact pattern and comes up with a ridiculous conclusion.”
Sometimes the lack of self-awareness is almost too pure to believe. LOL
October 15th, 2025 at 11:58 am
“ By Super Bowl absurd standards Trent Dilfer was a better QB than Dan Marino?”
Dilfer was amazing! That one pass as a Buc when we ran towards the left sideline, jumped in the air and threw a wobbly interception – amazing! Lol
October 15th, 2025 at 12:01 pm
McVay. And I thought it was McVey.
October 15th, 2025 at 12:10 pm
Bucs added a Running Back today. Does this mean Bucky will be out a lot longer if they are adding RB depth.
October 15th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
I just want to know how baker dropped to 3rd in the MVP race and mahomes is first with a 3-3 record
October 15th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
Looks like Egbuka is out for Monday, but the injury isn’t bad, so he should be back soon.
October 15th, 2025 at 12:44 pm
looking forward getting mike back. there waz a time when bucs couldnt win without mike imagine having him back
October 15th, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Baker should be honored by being compared to Mahomes ! But Baker has so much more in his tool belt than Mahomes.
Baker was the number one draft pick overall, he is definitely living up to that pick, even though so many others have failed in the NFL.
Baker Mayfield won the Heisman trophy and is playing at a very high level, he consistently shows us through his running and passing plays that he so deserved the trophy.
If Baker Mayfield continues to play at this high level in my opinion he is a future Hall of Fame quarterback hands down !
I just can’t say enough good things about Baker Mayfield!!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Lions !!
October 15th, 2025 at 12:58 pm
1 game at a time!!!!!!
6-1!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
October 15th, 2025 at 1:23 pm
We are going to be so deep heading into the playoffs…
October 15th, 2025 at 1:46 pm
This guy has always just liked to hear himself talk.
October 15th, 2025 at 2:00 pm
King got bad info bc even Mcvay has said they tried to resign Baker
October 15th, 2025 at 2:37 pm
Sometimes it’s just fun poking the old donkey in the eye. Gets em all hot and bothered. King’s arrogance, pomposity and willful ignorance just lead me to an obvious conclusion.
October 15th, 2025 at 2:54 pm
When you compare JMac’s last 5-games played, versus EE’s last 5 full-games… Just Sayin. And, Bake is throwing the ball DEEP probably 3X as much this season versus last. It sure would’ve been nice to see what JMac could’ve done in THIS Offense, being ‘featured’ alongside of EE. Now, I believe that EE seems to be a little more ‘polished’ as a route-runner, and probably has more ‘leadership’ qualities about him… But, it sure as hell would’ve been LOTS of fun to see!!!! Good Ol’ Bake making DII guys, and 7th-Round Draft-Picks, lookin’ like SUPER-DUPER STARS!!!! It’s Wild. A damn beautiful thing!!!!
October 15th, 2025 at 3:17 pm
go off against detroit chuck it and score!!
October 15th, 2025 at 3:22 pm
As I said, well well well😂
October 15th, 2025 at 4:11 pm
The guy McVay actually let go, Jared Goff, is pretty good, too. He arguably should have kept him.
October 15th, 2025 at 4:15 pm
@ BucsfaninOregon – long season ahead, and I haven’t wanted to ‘jinx-him’ but he’s playing by far, THE BEST Football he’s ever played! On pace for ONLY 3-INT’s… Who would’ve ever thunk-it!? I think at this point in his career, everything has really slowed-down for him, and he’s playing a lot more under control. Which, he said the other day, THAT was a huge point of emphasis for him all during this offseason. He said that he was VERY embarrassed and pissed-off at himself, for having made so many turnovers last season. I can really, only remember just TWICE all season, where I thought maybe, he tried to ‘force-it’ a little. Hell, he’s even looking good on his ‘deep-throws’ (bc they’re in-rhythm), AND he’s NOT even getting balls ‘batted-down’ at the line of scrimmage, anymore. Crazy! Coen and now Grizz (with ships tweaks) has been the absolute perfect fit for Good Old Bake!!!! Let’s hope it continues, and he can keep it up (and stay healthy).
October 15th, 2025 at 4:26 pm
As Baker gets better command of the offense he will get better and better. I don’t know how complex our offense is but you can bet it takes several years for any quarterback to really master it. When he does have 100% command of it he will make quicker, better reads. His all around decision making will definitely speed up. He will thrive when a play breaks down. He is already good at this but he will get better. He will be able to throw to his receivers before they are open, their chemistry will improve. He will be able to audible at the line of scrimmage depending on what he sees, turning a bad play into a good one. The audible is what the great quarterbacks have mastered in their game and Baker is getting better and better at it. A lot of former quarterbacks maintain it takes a full 3 years to truly master the NFL playbooks. When they do, they will become significantly more effective at running every aspect of the offense. It’s why Tom Brady was Tom Brady. There are a host of things quarterbacks get better at once they get to that point of mastery and it is going to be very interesting once Baker is to that point in his game. How good will we be when that happens is what is interesting but the Bucs future looks very bright. People owe Todd Bowles a big thank you for bringing Baker here. It took a good eye for talent and courage because everyone else was saying Baker was done, he has done all that he will ever do in the NFL. He will never be a starter again. But Todd knew Baker was just gettin started. Thank you coach Bowles!!!