Under Scrutiny
January 19th, 2026
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
The Buccaneers suddenly face an uncertain future at the game’s most critical position.
After a Pro Bowl season in 2024 and an exhilarating start last year, Baker Mayfield was part of the problem during Tampa Bay’s startling collapse. In the process, he may have cost himself a contract extension while generating doubts in the front office at One Buc Place.
Baker Mayfield
If Mayfield had finished strongly and the Bucs had avoided a post-bye meltdown, he’d likely already be in possession of a lucrative new deal. Instead, he heads into the final year of his contract needing a successful season to convince the Glazers he should be the face of the franchise going forward.
How much did Mayfield’s performance impact the 2025 Bucs? In Tampa Bay’s eight wins, Mayfield threw 12 TD passes and one interception. In the nine setbacks, he threw 14 scoring passes and 10 picks.
It was a tale of two halves for both Mayfield and the franchise.
During the 6-2 start, he threw only two interceptions. During the 2-7 debacle, he threw nine picks. Injuries to his shoulder and knee contributed to an uneven season, yet Mayfield took virtually every snap. Perhaps a more credible option than Teddy Bridgewater would have prompted Todd Bowles to sit Mayfield down for a game during the tailspin to heal up. We’ll never know, but the fact remains that Mayfield was picked off 11 times and lost seven fumbles.
That lack of ball security irked Bowles down the stretch and things came to a head after a 20-17 loss at Miami in Week 17.
“We’ve got to be better at the quarterback position and we’ve got to be better at the signal-caller position, and we’ve got to be better at blocking it,” Bowles said.
Well, signal-caller Josh Grizzard was dismissed quickly after the season. Mayfield will have a big voice in choosing the next offensive coordinator — as he should. He turns 31 in April and he’s one year removed from an outstanding season. But Mayfield regressed in 2025 and the Bucs averaged seven points less per game than the previous season.
The easy explanations include injuries to the offensive line, the departure of Liam Coen and the lack of production from Bucky Irving, before and after he was hurt.
Whatever the reason, Mayfield simply wasn’t the same quarterback. His average yards per pass attempt, a key metric, fell from 7.9 to 6.8. That ranked 25th in the league, despite being sacked less than in each of his first two years at One Buc Place.
Fewer throws were dropped but Mayfield topped 200 passing yards only three times in the final eight weeks.
The Bucs have plenty of holes to fill heading into the draft, especially on defense. But considering Mayfield’s cloudy future, Jason Licht should consider taking a late-round flier on a quarterback.
Bowles surely enters the 2026 season on a searing hot seat, but he’s not alone. Mayfield has forged a powerful bond with Buc fans, but that support won’t last if the team stumbles through another losing season.
Mayfield’s competitive drive and toughness should never be questioned, but his mistakes played a key role in the 2-7 finish. He wants a new contract while the Bucs want the old Mayfield back, the gunslinger who threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns the year before.
When the Bucs line up for the 2026 season opener, Mayfield will be under center … and under scrutiny.
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January 19th, 2026 at 9:26 am
They’re going to be mean and call you names, Ira.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:30 am
McDermott fired. Good to see some teams don’t embrace mediocrity and make excuses. Hopefully that will be the Bucs again one day.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:32 am
Bills fired their head coach…the Glazers are garbage.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:39 am
[Mike Tomlin was not fired. — Joe] Organizations with aspirations for better things not playing status quo. It’s becoming easier to not watch this $h1thole organization by the second. The Glazers are absolute mouth breathers. Todd is absolutely relishing in the fact that the glazers are simpletons. It’s all becoming so clear. At this point, McDermott should call defense for us next year. He lets up 30 pts a game. Sounds like a Bowles guy to me.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:40 am
Yep, that extra 7 points per game would have equated to a 14-3 record. Sad.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:44 am
Even player every year is under scrutiny. Only person in the organization who seems to be safe is the one who needs to go. Maybe McDermott hitting the market helps the glazers get on it
January 19th, 2026 at 9:45 am
If only he wasn’t running for his life the last 7 games…
January 19th, 2026 at 9:47 am
Notice how Todd never seems to blame his defense or himself?
Real stand up guy.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:48 am
The Bucs should have gone a lot farther in the playoffs those great offensive years Baker was on fire. However, the D continues to be the issue, yet here we are still with Bowles as HC and still playing DC. I really don’t get it. What is with the Glazer’s man crush with Todd Bowles? They fired Dungy and Chucky for less, yet here he still is. I wish the Glazers would just come out and have a press conference and explain why they made this decision and provide objective evidence for the decision.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:52 am
Hmm. I’ve followed the Bucs for 3 years now. I don’t always agree with The Sage, but I’ve learned that he and the Joes know stuff we don’t know. But especially Ira. “generating doubts in the front office of One Buc Place”. Hmmm. More please Ira.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:54 am
As usual spot on Ira. Unforunately, while we don’t like to admit it,there is no doubt Mayfield’s play was part of the teams problems on the back half of the season. One game in particular , which set up the perfect storm for a loss was the Atl game in Tampa, 3-28. In that game the Bucs were driving toward the end of the game and one more first down would have led to a field goal and likely put the game out of reach. I was watching and said ok anything but a pic here or a sack and we get a tleast a field goal, game over. Yes of course a pic , righ to a Atl defender whom Baker did not see. Well with that defense , we knew what was about to happen. Yes, Atl uses the pic for a score and then wins the game with the infamous 3-28. Yes the defense had the collopse. However that pic sets it all up.
With that said hopefully Mayfield can bounce back because the defense is not likely to fill all the holes needed this year. They just have to many. Hopefully the defense is vastly inproved, but I believe the offense will need to carry this team. With that in mind Baker needs to have a very good year. As Bucs fan we must have hope!!
January 19th, 2026 at 9:56 am
When HC’s job security is threatened because of team performance, reasoning goes out the window. When that happens you would think 🤔 Jason Licht and the Glazers would intervene.
Hopefully everyone has learned a lesson and moves forward. Despite what others think or say, injuries took out the Bucs in 2025.
Let’s move forward, learn from what happened and make 2026 an exciting year.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:56 am
I would gladly take any of the HC’s that have been fired so far over Bowels. Licht, Bowels and BA need to hit the freaking road, they are setting this team back to the decade of depression. You honestly think this defense is going to magically progress next year when it has been regressing the past 5 years.
How is it even possible that McDermott and Harbaugh get fired but we are stuck with .500 Bowels. I mean McDermott was literally a catch (crazy INT) away from the AFC championship and he gets canned? I would gladly take that any day of the week.
January 19th, 2026 at 9:59 am
Sean McDermott is definitely an upgrade over Lovie Bowels.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:04 am
Joe Brady is now available. We should interview him for our OC
January 19th, 2026 at 10:09 am
Yeah, our losses can’t be blamed on the Bucs bottom five defense and last place red zone defense.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:10 am
When you have a mindset for excellence and don’t tolerate mediocrity, you do what the owner of the Bills just did. You make changes, and they start at the top. Why the Glazers didn’t fire TB is perplexing. Then to hear TB deflect nd blame others is sickening.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:12 am
The Buffalo Bills ownership would have fired Todd Bowles 3 times already.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:13 am
FIRE TODD BOWLES
Hit piece on Baker
January 19th, 2026 at 10:17 am
Baker did not play well the second half but he is fine, you can win with him. The defense and special teams sunk this team last season. The occult of Trask will continue to hate on Baker but I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:20 am
Outrigger, I bet Joe Brady will be the first guy who Buffalo interviews and he will get looks for other HC gigs as well. Now if someone like McDaniel gets the Buffalo job and Brady does not get an HC offer he likes, well then Joe Brady could be looking for another OC gig, enter Tampa, along with Detroit, Philly and the Chargers; all teams who have more stable situations as their HCs are not on the hottest of hot seats.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:24 am
Whatevs, I agree with ya; Baker does have to be accountable for his poor play after the bye but I suspect injuries were a big part of that as well as not having a backup qb that could actually start a game or 2. Baker did not allow a team to convert a 3rd and 28, nor did he call an all out blitz, allowing Carolina to score a back breaking TD vs the Bucs in Carolina with time running out in the half. Bowles is still responsible for the post bye train wreck but it seems a lot of people are pointing fingers elsewhere. No wonder fans are angry, the Bucs keep Bowles but other teams hold coaches accountable for failure as they did in Buffalo, Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami, etc…..
January 19th, 2026 at 10:29 am
Bills hold their people accountable. Glazers do NOT. Bucs create scapegoats. It’s pretty pathetic. Bucs regime is pathetic.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:30 am
Don’t worry Baker fans. As long as Licht, and Bowles are here Baker will get a bloated extention. They paid Zyon, they’ll pay Baker. He’s got moxie!
January 19th, 2026 at 10:36 am
agree with all of the above Bud would not like this and agree he point the finger and excuses on everybody else its never his fault with his outdated defence blitzs
January 19th, 2026 at 10:47 am
Anybody but Todd. Got it. P.s. Ira…I loved you in the wizard of Oz you were the one with the lollipop.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:53 am
Who’s up next on the Bowles Blame Bus? Wirfs? Evans? McMillan? Hell, if we wanna go after a QB who messed up our season in a big way, why don’t we talk about Teddy? Maybe we can blame the waterboy mixing up the Gatorade and the Powerade? Or how about the in-stadium entertainment personnel for not playing Todd’s favorite song in the 1st quarter?
January 19th, 2026 at 10:53 am
Nah…Baker didn’t forget how to sling it. Dude was hurt. Here’s something though…”During the 2-7 debacle…” And yet Mediocre Todd stays. Thanks Glazers.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:56 am
I am afraid Ira is right. It was “The tale of two halves.” A lot of eyes on Baker this coming season.
Teddy and Kyle were not the answers as backups. Time for good backup for Baker too. Possibly a rookie.
January 19th, 2026 at 10:58 am
Ok. I’ll say it. It seemed that all the new fathers took a play dive.
January 19th, 2026 at 11:05 am
“he may have cost himself a contract extension”. Hmm. Sage, I couldn’t help but thinking yesterday that Baker would have looked pretty good in a Texans uniform, especially with that defense. Stroud looked bad. Or a Steelers uniform with an organization that values edge rush. Rodgers is done. Or even, a division rival might try to pull a fast one on us. More teams needing a QB than a head coach. Just cause we missed out on the playoffs this year doesn’t mean Baker lost one little bit of luster to many offensive minded coaches around the league. Baker is here and will be here because he wants to be. His skills are what they are. Those skills, And what I think what the Joe’s called “intangibles”, entering 5 or 6 years in his prime? I respectfully disagree with your article today. Mayfield had a rocky back half of the season. But to suggest he’s on a hotter seat than he or most any QB is always on is ridiculous. Ira, you said it on one of your podcasts the other day. The organization is built on the offensive line. And the defensive line. It’s just about that simple I think.
January 19th, 2026 at 11:05 am
Ira – always a Bowles guy.
I’m surprised this article doesn’t blame Baker for a lousy pass rush and poor tackling techniques.
January 19th, 2026 at 11:30 am
All this deflecting and whatabouting is like pickle ball court behavior