“I Think Baker Mayfield Has Entered That Category Of Being Labeled As A Franchise Quarterback”
October 15th, 2025
Earned respect.
Remember just a few short weeks ago there were still people commenting on this here site thinking Kyle Trask was the answer?
Yeah, really.
Far and wide folks are making the case that Baker Mayfield should be the NFL’s MVP after the way he has the Bucs at 5-1 despite the Bucs offense having more injuries than a NASCAR pileup at Talladega.
Out is Mike Evans. Out is Chris Godwin. Out is Jalen McMillan. Out is Bucky Irving. Down goes Emeka Egbuka.
Suddenly, Mayfield looks up and he’s playing with the Bucs’ third team. And still the Bucs ring up 30 points and beat the 49ers.
Color former Titans general manager and Colts and Gators running back Ran Carthon impressed. Carthon, who now works for CBS, said there are two levels of quarterbacks: starters and franchise quarterbacks.
Carthon said he hates the term franchise quarterback because he believes it is overused. However, he believes Mayfield has risen to that level.
“Here’s a [term] I don’t like to throw around a lot: franchise quarterback,” Carthon began. “Because to me, there’s a different label when you get [to be a] franchise quarterback.
“That means, regardless of what’s going on around you, you’re going to lift your team to a victory. And I think Baker Mayfield has entered that category of being labeled as a franchise quarterback.
“Because we have a lot of quarterbacks in this league that are good, right? And you win with those guys. You don’t win because of them.
“If you’re down to your fifth, sixth, seventh receiver, your fourth or fifth offensive line group, you don’t have your starting running back in the backfield, but yet, you find a way to win a football game every time,” that’s a franchise quarterback.
There was no question Mayfield put the Bucs on his back against the 49ers on Sunday and willed the team to win, Carthon said. And that, he said, is a franchise quarterback.
Mayfield has been incredible with so many of his fellow starters out. He’s kept drives alive and set up backups to make plays.
That’s what happened Sunday with Mayfield throwing to Johnson & Johnson. And that’s why the Bucs have the best record in the NFC.
.@rancarthon thinks Baker Mayfield has entered the category of 'franchise quarterback' for the Buccaneers. pic.twitter.com/66uJN7BuJN
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 13, 2025
October 15th, 2025 at 5:24 am
Cartoon’s definition is solid. Fully agree with the tiny caveat that you have to be in the right place at the right time. Pity those Browns fans because they’re seeing what might have been.
October 15th, 2025 at 5:27 am
Franchise QB? Hmm… May be an understatement with Baker.
Anyone think Brady was just a “franchise QB”? Manning? Marino? Just a thought.
I hope Baker makes it up to their status. A Super Bowl and league MVP would go along way towards that.
Go Bucs!
October 15th, 2025 at 5:31 am
It is the ultimate team game. Not just players, but the right coaches and the front office and the owners.
Last article, Brady’s Impact Remains. Work ethic, character and accountability.
But that does not matter if the team does not have the franchise QB (Brady and Baker). The QB does not matter if you don’t have players, office and supportive owners (ie, Cincinnati, Browns, and many more).
Todd puts the system in place, develops players (except for OLB), hires the right coaches.
JL finds the right players. Glazers don’t micro manage and support JL and Todd.
Go Bucs! Own Woodward Ave on Monday night
October 15th, 2025 at 5:35 am
TBBucFan Says:
Pity those Browns fans…
Man, is that the truth. Can you imagine? And they are such great fans. Wow that would tear your heart out.
October 15th, 2025 at 6:15 am
Some clown in week two actually suggested Bridgewater should,start. Speaking of Progressive has a backup series c where backup Quarterbacks fill in for mundane tasks. Teddy fills in for a disinterested teen girl who is supposed to give love advice to another teen girl. It is hilarious. Past football career in comedy bud.
October 15th, 2025 at 6:35 am
predicting the winner of daytona or talladega on lap 5 is pretty dumb as well. frontrunners frequently end up DNF.
October 15th, 2025 at 6:45 am
The other piece which isn’t getting as much attention is he also overcame an OC calling his 6th game vs a Robert Saleh defence (admittedly depleted). Baker is operating at a seriously high level this year and you have to love it. Go Bucs!
October 15th, 2025 at 6:53 am
Man, Trask is living rent free in your head Jose.
October 15th, 2025 at 7:07 am
What a bulletin. They all show up with praise when you are on top. Will they still be there when the inevitable fall comes? Just like buying stocks. When the market is going up all the experts tell you the market is going up. When it is going down, they all scream, “Sell.” When Mayfield was going down only a few like Todd Bowles were smart enough to do the right thing, “Buy, buy, buy.”
October 15th, 2025 at 7:25 am
My how the fanbase forgets. We were those Browns fans. Have been for multiple decade long spans throughout our 50 years of existence. We know exactly what they feel like, if not worse, until Baker achieves his ultimate career goals.
The Bucs once had a two-time NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP,Three-time Super Bowl champion, Hall of Fame quarterback who had the highest passer rating in NFL history and the record for single season completion percentage when he retired.
We had to endure watching him accomplish this all the way across the country as a 49er.
October 15th, 2025 at 7:41 am
SPEAKING of Trask, he is trying out for Indy
October 15th, 2025 at 8:03 am
poll: how many more years will baker be good and play in tb? 3-4 more?
October 15th, 2025 at 8:39 am
Senor Harry in Costa Rica … ‘It is the ultimate team game. Not just players, but the right coaches and the front office and the owners.’
Perfectly stated Harry. Tom Brady was a great example of ALL of that coming together IMO, with TB12 as the ‘field general’ keeping it all marching towards the goal line, for 23 years. His career win-loss record of 251-82 means that over today’s 17-game schedule his AVERAGE yearly record equates to 13-4. That’s incredible. Winning 7 Super Bowls with 2 different franchises serves as further proof of his critical role in those ‘machines’.
Peyton Manning is another solid example of a franchise QB IMO. His 186-79 career win-loss record equates to a 12-5 AVERAGE yearly record over his 17-year career. And winning 2 Super Bowls with 2 different teams certainly shows his criticality to both Indy & Denver.
Baker Mayfield has had to take a much different route to becoming a franchise QB. Both Brady & Manning had tremendous ‘stability’ regarding their role in their franchises & the people around them. Brady had only TWO head coaches in his 23-year career, and Manning only had 5 head coaches in his 17-year career. Baker has already had 7 head coaches in his 8-year career, as many as Brady & Manning had combined over their 40 years of NFL football.
Despite that, Baker has persevered & he’s taking full advantage of being surrounded by quality coaches & teammates. And he’s bringing out the best in all of them. He has become ‘The Field General’ IMO & has all of us believing that anything’s possible with Baker at the helm.
October 15th, 2025 at 9:17 am
Original76er Says:
October 15th, 2025 at 7:25 am
My how the fanbase forgets. We were those Browns fans. Have been for multiple decade long spans throughout our 50 years of existence. We know exactly what they feel like, if not worse, …..
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Amen, fellow OG loyal Bucs fan. In fact, it was worse at times for us. The Culverhouse Curse. The Dark Ages. I can only speak for myself, but I look at this season, and remind myself: One game at a time. Go Bucs, 6-1!!!
October 15th, 2025 at 9:20 am
I think it’s an understatement also garro.I hate the terms franchise quarterback and elite. Those labels are impossible to quantify. Baker is just a damn good football player and a fantastic quarterback. What is unfortunate is that with the right organization and team and coaches he would have been playing like he is now long ago. So we missed out on a lot. He should have had a a Mahomes or Allen or Jackson type trajectory in his career. We missed out as fans but just think about what Baker has missed out on in terms of success on the field and financially. All thanks to that dysfunctional franchise in northeast Ohio that in no way resembles that great Browns franchise of years ago.
October 15th, 2025 at 9:33 am
lol, orlbuc and 76er. I’d argue two SB championships since 1976 is world’s better than anything the Browns have accomplished since the merger. I was one of the many who thought Vinny would ultimately be better than Steve so it would be hypocritical of me to judge the second round pick that they received for Young. However, that example is perfect for sometimes it takes time to develop. Who did Young get to learn from? I seriously doubt his career would have reached the heights that it did with the past Bucs organization. That’s why Baker is in the right place at the right tine.
October 15th, 2025 at 9:33 am
Thanks be to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for making Baker’s success a reality by giving him the opportunity after having been libeled and slandered by the Browns
October 15th, 2025 at 9:42 am
Oscar,
You nailed it. Libeled and slandered are the right words. Baker has overcome it all when many would have just slunked away.
October 15th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
DR, as always, excellent observations about Brady and Manning and what Baker has had to go thru to get to where he is. His story is what is so intriguing and what sets him apart. Its on the level of Kurt Warmer bagging groceries