Baker Mayfield And The Race For MVP
October 6th, 2025
Baker Mayfield prepares to slide after a successful run in Seattle.
Is Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield the MVP of the league?
The way he played yesterday, he ought to be in the running. And a respected chronicler of the NFL believes it is not BS to suggest Mayfield could be the league MVP when the smoke clears.
Mayfield in the 38-35 win over the Seahawks in Seattle was simply spectacular yesterday. He only had 4 incompletions (!) in 33 attempts.
And Joe maintains that despite the score, Seattle is no pushover on defense.
Dan Graziano of ESPN, who is widely respected across the NFL, typed a piece explaining he cannot understand how Mayfield wouldn’t be in the mix for league MVP.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
… [I]t’d be ridiculous not to include Mayfield in the discussion.
The Bucs have a brutal list of injuries for a 4-1 team. They have two starting offensive linemen out with injuries, another (left tackle Tristan Wirfs) who missed the first three games of the season and another (Mike Jordan) who was filling in admirably before he got hurt. Top receiver Mike Evans has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury. Fellow wideout Chris Godwin missed the first three weeks coming back from last year’s season-ending ankle injury. Wide receiver Jalen McMillan, so promising as a rookie in 2024, is out until at least late in the season. Starting running back Bucky Irving missed Sunday’s game with an injury. The defense is down three starters.
The Bucs have no business being 4-1. But their infrastructure and culture are as solid as any team’s, and Mayfield is a huge part of that. He has gone from journeyman to stabilizing force in three years in Tampa, where the team is pushing for a fifth straight division title and (it hopes) even more this time.
The fact the Bucs are 4-1 with all these injuries makes Joe hunger for what this team may be later in the season when most of the team is healthy (hopefully).
Imagine what this offense could be like with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan all on the field together healthy.
How fun this season will be if Mayfield’s play continues to push people to vote for him as MVP.
October 6th, 2025 at 4:23 am
The old Buc uniforms make it real easy for Bake to see our players.
October 6th, 2025 at 4:24 am
Should the Bucs have all white uniforms with the new colors?
October 6th, 2025 at 4:26 am
And the best news is … Baker ended his runs with a slide.
October 6th, 2025 at 4:28 am
There is no other quarterback who can lead and fire up and instill belief in his teammates the way Baker can.
October 6th, 2025 at 4:58 am
While I totally agree with Baker being a legit MVP candidate I think he faces bias. The bias being Tampa. Look at LVD being continually snubbed. The latest hype of Atlanta? Hell the GOAT got snubbed here. He will have to make it absurd not to name him MVP. This is Roger’s NFL as well and don’t forget the corrupt media… Hope he makes them do it though. That would be awesome!
Go Baker!
Go Bucs!
October 6th, 2025 at 4:59 am
Love the White throwbacks – such a clean look.
October 6th, 2025 at 5:36 am
There was even a couple Cade O sightings yesterday ,
October 6th, 2025 at 5:39 am
If Baker keeps lifting the BUCS Up tO higher levels he should be a shoe in for MVP . But we all know how much the NFL office & the bias media loves the big name city’s teams. But if this BUCS TEAM continues who knows. Who do you want leading us in the last 2min. No vote needed. GO BUCS WINNING EVEN MAKES THE OLE BUCCO BRUCE UNIS LOOK GOOD !!!
October 6th, 2025 at 5:46 am
This conversation is a distraction. Just win your games.
October 6th, 2025 at 6:08 am
MVP, MVP, MVP! 100%
I read further in the article Joe shared, and Graziano mentioned Patriots being a play-off team. After last night, he could be right about that too.
October 6th, 2025 at 6:10 am
2-0 in White Throwbacks
SUCK IT!!!
October 6th, 2025 at 6:23 am
This article can’t be right. Nobody consulted with Rod Munch who refers to Mayfield as a “middling midget.” Munch is the resident expert here who has been unfailingly incorrect about Baker Mayfield ever since Baker arrived in Tampa. You remember don’t you, Rodney? Choker, can’t throw deep, too short and other uncomplimentary things you said about Mayfield. When Mayfield was compared by me to a Drew Brees type QB, you howled in derisive scorn. Will let up when you admit you were wrong. Pretty sure you never will. One thing about athletes who actually played the game is they rarely denigrate those that do. That is particularly true of QB’s. Those that never played pretend they know what they are talking about. Keep pretending, Muncher.
October 6th, 2025 at 6:35 am
Bakes does not care. Just win baby win.
October 6th, 2025 at 6:41 am
Gipper don’t forget Munch, David, Onielbuc all hated Bakes. I am not sure which one but one of those actually said Fields or Watson was better which leads me to believe that they are outside agitators with a non football agenda.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:41 am
He is absolutely the MVP right now.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:48 am
Nope. No Buccaneer will win MVP. That’s reserved for the popular teams. Look for Josh Allen or someone of his caliber to win.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:55 am
I am with you Gipper! “Mr. Don’t know is all” needs to own up to how wrong he has always been about Baker. If Rod Munch isn’t man enough to admit it, then nobody should pay attention to comments from a person who says nothing worth reading.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:56 am
Who cares about awards? Get to the boats and tossing trophies.
October 6th, 2025 at 8:03 am
MorHairKen —
With the GOAT it was closer to getting to the boats and tossing cookies. 🍪 🤓
October 6th, 2025 at 8:20 am
Mike Florio on PFT just brought up that the Bucs need to think about restructuring Baker’s contract to pay him more money. His reasoning is that for every day they wait that price is going to keep going higher.
He’s not wrong.
He’s wrong because this likely already has been discussed and a framework set. Also, it’s a gamble because potential injuries are always in the equation. Mayfield will get his deal and the Bucs will be happy to pay him his value. What that is might not be so clear.–Joe
October 6th, 2025 at 8:30 am
If Brady couldn’t get MVP after his 2020 and 2021 seasons, I doubt any player can be MVP in this market
October 6th, 2025 at 8:55 am
Don’t forget Tez Johnson! Need to get that guy the ball more in space.
October 6th, 2025 at 9:43 am
On the Tez comment did you see him in the middle of 3 Seahawks players, go down as 2 of them came in and hit each other, 1 getting knocked out of the game? LMAO
October 6th, 2025 at 9:49 am
I have no idea regarding MVP of the league. That’s above my paygrade. MVP of the Bucs ? I don’t think anyone could argue against it. This is his team and it goes where he goes. I have to say I have enjoyed watching him the last two seasons more than any other Bucs QB – including Brady. With Brady it was like watching old YouTube videos of a martial arts master beating up his students. Half the time it was just boring. Baker – you literally never know whats going to happen and its hella fun to watch.
October 6th, 2025 at 9:56 am
If BM6 keeps doing what he’s been doing, he may actually earn something way greater than that MVP! Perhaps a Lombardi! One game at a time!! LFG!!
October 6th, 2025 at 10:47 am
I agree with Joe that Baker’s future contract has been discussed with mgmnt. Licht is no fool and he doesn’t shortchange players or the team. Baker wants to win and has the same goal as the entire team. Everyone has to be paid to form a winning team, not just one individual. Bakers has a home here and he will be well compensated. He is well compensated Licht will find a way to pay him and others that need to be retained. But the goal is championship now, more championships in the near future and hopefully build a dynasty, a perennial winner is how I think the Glazers termed it when they cut Chucky loose. They’re closer to this now than they’ve ever been.
October 6th, 2025 at 10:59 am
When Bake first came here, I wrote that he reminded me of Sonny Jurgenson. Short for a NFL player but gutsy with balls of steel. Someone else brought up Fran Tarkenton, and eventually Drew Brees was mentioned.
Sure Baker deserves the MVP. He’s earning it. But, he’s a Buc and there is still a lot of bias against this team cos of the Dark Ages. I think a SB ring would be a very nice compensation prize.
October 6th, 2025 at 11:02 am
Why is he not the frontrunner is the real question
October 6th, 2025 at 11:35 am
I am salivating at the thought of this team being 100% healthy. Unfortunately, it won’t get there with Calihah and Cody gone, but the DB’s and the weapons on offense absolutely can all get back and they could go on absolute monster run as they head to the playoffs.
October 6th, 2025 at 12:10 pm
I’ll say that the Seahawks were suffering worse injuries on D than we were on D for this game. So I take the results with a grain of salt. But a great player takes advantage of those situations, and Baker threw some darn near perfect passes all day long (only 4 incompletions??? with one bad drop by Godwin factored in).
He’s got to be in the MVP conversation. Only Stafford, Dak, and Danny Jones (?!) are playing better at the moment.
October 6th, 2025 at 7:34 pm
we should trade for a wideout
October 6th, 2025 at 10:45 pm
If he’s able to keep his pace up and with as many fans he has it should be a good chance he gets it. Yesterday he played out of our minds. It was exciting
October 6th, 2025 at 11:02 pm
Marky Mark get it straight, I never hated Baker but it took me longer to come around because of you people who came up here attacking Buc fans who didn’t ride his jock like you guys do. He showed me barely anything until the playoffs in 2023 that he was anything close to to what you guys claimed he was. He absolutely sucked in entire halves and his win/loss record before that was that of a middling qb who never had back to back very good seasons. He did that finally in 2024 and was lights out. I’ll say it one more time, I’ve come around and was incorrect in my assessment of his abilities. He is definitely our qb of the future and was the perfect replacement for Bradys’ perfect all the time play because that is still there but now Baker has guys how to have fun and team comraderie
October 6th, 2025 at 11:48 pm
David Big Bucs, you probably don’t care, but that is a good paragraph you just wrote. It has gotten pretty ugly here at times, probably too ugly, and in my assessment it takes a decent man to say what you have said. As far as I am concerned, it is history and in the rear view mirror with you. After all, we are after the same thing. Go Bucs!!! 🏴☠️