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BY IRA KAUFMAN

Advantage, Buccaneers.

When assessing the NFL’s upcoming divisional races, Tampa Bay boasts a sizable winning edge at the game’s most important position.
The differential between Baker Mayfield and the other quarterbacks in the NFC South is monumental — the largest QB gap of any of the league’s eight divisions.

And in a grouping that was separated by only two games from top to bottom in 2025, Mayfield gives the Bucs a comfort level under center that the Panthers, Falcons and Saints can’t match.

There’s a reason why the 12 highest-paid players in the league are all quarterbacks. If you don’t have a decent one, you’re going nowhere. If you’re solid under center, you have a chance to compete.

Before turning to the NFC South, here’s a look at the other divisional matchups at the quarterback position:

NFC EAST
Dak Prescott puts up big numbers in Big D, but it’s Jalen Hurts who sports a 57-25 record as Philadelphia’s starter. That doesn’t include two Super Bowl appearances and one Vince Lombardi Trophy.

NFC NORTH
Detroit’s Jared Goff leads all quarterbacks with 101 TD passes during the past three seasons. Mayfield ranks No. 2 with 95 since joining the Bucs in 2023. Goff has been durable and productive over 10 years, but Jordan Love is no slouch. Let’s not forget Love was hardly to blame for Green Bay’s 31-27 playoff meltdown at Chicago, where he threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns.

NFC WEST
This is QB heaven, with Matt Stafford, Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold vying for supremacy. Stafford is the NFL’s reigning MVP and a likely Hall of Famer after he retires by the end of the decade. Purdy’s career passer rating of 104.0 ranks No. 1 all-time and he’s won 30 of 45 starts. All Darnold did last year was lead the Seahawks to a championship, tossing five TD passes and zero interceptions in the postseason. While playing for two different teams, he’s 31-7 in the past two years.

AFC EAST
Josh Allen is the dynamic driving force in Buffalo, a great talent still looking for a ring. But New England’s Drake Maye was just named the league’s 11th-best player in voting by his peers, finishing second behind Stafford in MVP voting while garnering second-team All-Pro honors.

AFC NORTH
Like Allen, Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson has come up short in the postseason. Still, he’s won two MVP awards and finished second to Allen in 2024. When Joe Burrow has been healthy for Cincinnati, he has few peers. Burrow has averaged more than two TD passes per game in his six-year career and the overhauled Buc defense will get a look at him in the Sept. 13 season opener.

AFC SOUTH
Who do you prefer, Trevor Lawrence or C.J. Stroud? Lawrence improved markedly for the Jaguars last year under the tutelage of Liam Coen as Jacksonville averaged 32 points in the final 11 games. Stroud has leveled off after a terrific 2023 rookie season, but he’s already 28-18 as an NFL starter and won’t turn 25 until October.

AFC WEST
Coming off knee surgery, Patrick Mahomes is eager to reclaim his status as the game’s premier quarterback. KC’s offensive line is sketchy and Mahomes lacks quality targets. Talented Justin Herbert has a lot to prove for the Chargers, but he has thrown 105 more TD passes than interceptions in his career. All Denver’s Bo Nix has done in his first two years is win 24 games. He beat Allen in a playoff shootout in January but a fractured right ankle sidelined him against the Patriots in the AFC title game.

NFC SOUTH
Mayfield hasn’t missed a start as a Buccaneer and his intangibles are off the grid. He faltered down the stretch last season, but Mayfield has the full support of teammates and coaches. Tyler Shough went 5-4 as a rookie for the Saints, showing potential. Still, he failed to throw a TD pass in two games against Tampa Bay. The Panthers are careful not to overexpose Bryce Young, who has averaged only 180 passing yards in 46 career games. Neither Michael Penix Jr. nor Tua Tagovailoa should scare the Bucs when they face Atlanta. Penix is 4-8 as a starter, with a completion rate below 60 percent. Tagovailoa threw 14 picks in 2023 and 15 last year for Miami, second only to Geno Smith.