Baker Mayfield Gets Top-10 Quarterback Votes From NFL Coaches And Execs
July 13th, 2026
Joe wonders whether Team Glazer is paying attention to the quality of quarterback play around the NFL.
Perhaps that’s the case, as the Bucs owners are in the midst of deciding how much to offer Baker Mayfield in a contract extension to keep him in Tampa after this season. Mayfield didn’t like their first offer.
So ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to rank the top-10 players at 11 different positions. It’s an annual exercise led by Jeremy Fowlers.
Today, the QB results were released.
Per BSPN, here are the rules. “Voters gave their own top 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on the number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen as well as ESPN Research. More than 70 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed contributed to placements.”
(Years ago, Joe was told all the follow-up calls and interviews largely are used to break ties in the voting.)
Today, Baker Mayfield was listed among 7 honorable mentions after the top 10. Also in that class is Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Sam Darnold and Jayden Daniels. Four of those six have contracts of $50 million+ per season.
Quarterbacks Bo Nix, Daniel Jones and C.J. Stroud were in the final category of “also receiving votes.”
July 13th, 2026 at 8:30 am
I think this helps the Glazers.
Who wants to aspire to being in the top 17?
Tells us he isn’t elite that’s it.
July 13th, 2026 at 8:34 am
The title is very misleading. An honorable mention after the top ten is not the top ten.
Sadly, results don’t matter as much as opinions and feelings in some circles.
Just because a QB makes you moist when he puts himself recklessly in danger time after time, does not make him elite.
Bad QB’s find a way to lose and make excuses for it. Then they cry for more money.
Franchise QB’s take less money to field a better team around them.
TB12 knows.
July 13th, 2026 at 9:03 am
This result comes after a bad second half in 2025. I wonder what he was ranked in this exercise after the 2024 season? Also it would be good to know how he ranked among the honorable mentions.
July 13th, 2026 at 9:16 am
Like making the pro bowl twice when other QBs backed out. Only ranking that matters is wins.
July 13th, 2026 at 9:16 am
Lynch,
We probably disagree on Baker but I agree with your statement about the headline. Putting the word “some” between From and NFL is probably more accurate.
But it is also unreasonable to assume he is 17 and not, hmmmm, 12 on the list. Honestly, unless they throw out all the numbers we’ll never know.
What I do know is if you say any of the other 6 were free agents available to sign with anyone next year their market would be huge. So I’m not sure this is the great news the Glazers want in terms of saving money
July 13th, 2026 at 9:16 am
Baker lands smack dab in the middle of the pack, exactly where he belongs. I’ve been saying it for a while, Baker doesn’t suck like the haters say and he isn’t irreplaceable like the Baker lovers scream.
The guy is a solid QB, great leader, guys like playing with him, makes some unbelievable plays and has guts. He’s also incredibly inconsistent, gets happy feet too quickly at times and hasn’t proven he can win in big games.
JL and company are doing exactly what they should. Offer him a nice raise and new deal that doesn’t hamstring the franchise. If Baker wants top 5 QB money, then make him earn it this year by winning big games, improving his consistency and playing like a top 5 QB.
July 13th, 2026 at 9:21 am
Compliments > Contract
Stats, rankings and good press matter way more than wins in November, December and January. Results don’t matter and playoff wins are overrated, what matters more is playing your heart out and of course taking your coworkers out to eat.
July 13th, 2026 at 9:29 am
I still believe the issue is not money , but length of contract. The Bucs know they have to pay Barker somewhere over the 50 million market that is where he lands simple enough. The question is length of contract. The Bucs, see ME last contract, like short deals. Baker my gurss wants a longer contract.
We will see
July 13th, 2026 at 9:39 am
He was injured and the genius that is Jason Licht brought in Teddy Bridgewater – who flat out was incompetent and not an NFL back up. So, Mayfield had to play hurt. That’s a FIREABLE offense right there and the Joe’s have let Jason off the hook so many times. Start banging on your boy Jason. He’s as much to blame as Bowles is these days.
-David
July 13th, 2026 at 9:49 am
And Tom Brady left because everyone knew his team would win 4 games and he didn’t want to be associated with a 4 win season. In fact, Peter King picked the Bucs as the second worse team in the league in 2023. So Brady left. Baker came and won 10!!! Won the division and went to the playoffs. Case closed. Baker is a great NFL qb. We just dont have the supporting cast around him. Our problem is coaching. It is hard to overcome bad coaching. We will see what happens this year.
July 13th, 2026 at 10:03 am
Failure rate on QB’s is like 2 or of 3, regardless of draft position. We’re unlikely to get anyone better on the first, second or third attempt.
Those 3 attempts mark a decade
July 13th, 2026 at 10:28 am
A great defense and a great rushing attack can win you the big game without a great QB and at a lot lower payroll. Focus on defense and running the ball and everything else will fall in place. Quit worrying so much about Baker , because the Bucs hold all the cards with their ability to Franchise him for 2 more years after this season.
July 13th, 2026 at 10:37 am
Here we go again.. Who gives a damn about these talking heads and polls? There is ZERO doubt that Baker is a Franchise QB..
So the Bucs must decide if they want to take the risk of wandering in the wilderness, hoping to find an option better than a guy who went to 2 Pro Bowls, playoffs 2 years in a row, and was in the MVP Conversation prior to the massive injury bug that hit the team last year, Or pay the guy and build around him for the future.
Baker is a top 10-15 Franchise QB.. They don’t grow on trees.. Pay the man what’s fair, fix the defense, and get back to the playoffs. Anything can happen after that!
July 13th, 2026 at 10:42 am
Tab12 is a whiny baby please don’t associate him with this franchise lol
He’s a Patriot and always will be
July 13th, 2026 at 11:06 am
This does matter because these are coaches and front office people’s opinions, not the talking heads. Some talking heads are very knowledgeable and their opinions definitely matter, but the vast majority don’t have a clue.
July 13th, 2026 at 11:22 am
Allen, Mahomes, Jackson, Burrow, Stafford, Herbert, Prescott, Maye, Goff, and Caleb Williams. I know it’s just me, but I believe if over the last 3 years, since we’ve got a QB who has thrown for more TDs and yards than 9 of them, and has a better playoff rating than all of them- well, suffice it to say Baker is a polarizing player on all fronts.
July 13th, 2026 at 11:30 am
Next year, I suspect he’ll either rise to the top 10, or drop out of the honorable mentions. It should be an interesting season!
July 13th, 2026 at 11:35 am
Churchhill, I think, coined the phrase “a riddle wrapped in an enigma”. At least we’ve got us an interesting QB. And the dude can dance! And I ain’t whistling Dixie!
July 13th, 2026 at 11:38 am
So now the Bucs should pay or not pay on unscientific polls of fat, lazy clickbait seeking media trolls?
Jesus. God.
Let’s drag this right up to camp, Licht. What a moron.
Pay him or don’t. But get it done.
July 13th, 2026 at 11:49 am
Attaboy and Kenton … Well said. Baker’s only 31 years old, and he’s thrown for more yardage and more TDs than most of the “elite” QBs in the NFL since joining Tampa. Pay the man already. 54M x 4.
July 13th, 2026 at 11:49 am
Reality check for the critics: Patrick Mahomes is generally considered the best QB, or at least one of the best in the NFL. Here are the stats for the last three seasons combined when you compare him to Baker:
Mayfield: 95 TDs/37 Int, passer rating 97.3
Mahomes: 75 TD/36 Int, passer rating 91.9
Add to this the fact that the Chiefs have had the benefit of an offensive genius as Head Coach in Andy Reid, and the Chiefs have had a far superior defense for those three years. So why is there even a discussion about whether Baker is “elite” or not? The facts and the stats speak for themselves. And before you throw the old “he cannot win a SB” line, no QB by himself wins anything.
July 13th, 2026 at 12:12 pm
The top 5 are basically untouchable in the rankings ,, maybe they shift a little but they are still top 5,, After that it’s all subject to opinion,,, Like Geoff at 9 and Caleb at 10 to me is a bit of a reach for both but I also wouldn’t argue if it was Darnold /Baker at 9/10,,, Dak being at 6 or 7 is also so so,, I can’t say that Dak , Geoff or Caleb would have taken last years Bucs to the Playoffs .
July 13th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
PLawson, interesting comparison.
We will see how good Mahomes really is as the team continues to deteriorate as guys like Kelce retire. Brady seemed to overcome losses because he wasn’t greedy on salary.
And imagine if Baker had started with Andy Reid instead of the dumpster fire in Cleveland.
July 13th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
@Kenton Smith
Prescott beat Brady in the playoffs in the 2023 wild card.
Does that make Prescott better than TB12???
See how easy it is to dismantle your utter nonsense!
Try again Bozo!!! 🤡🤣🤡🤣🤡🤣
July 13th, 2026 at 12:22 pm
PLawson:
Now compare Mayfield v Mahomes re: sacks, rushing yards, pressures, fumbles, head to head record.
Mayfield’s biggest drawback is he holds on to the ball too long and takes too many sacks and fumbles too much.
July 13th, 2026 at 12:23 pm
In other words, they know who Baker is. As does Mike Evans.
July 13th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
Alanbucsfan: Of course Baker’s been sacked more. He has been working behind a an offensive line of second and third stringers. His rushing stats were close to Mahomes last year and he kept drives going on 3rd down scrambles in spite of injuries. Holding the ball too long? He barely had time to look downfield before the rush was on him last year.
July 13th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
Allen, Mahomes, Jackson, Burrow, Stafford, Herbert, Prescott, Maye, Goff, and Caleb Williams.
Nice list but only 2 win the big games and usually advance.
2 fold in the bigger games.
1 is ultra injury prone.
3 haven’t done much in the post season
2 are fairly new… trying to show up & become the top 2.
I believe the guy who won it all wasn’t even given an offer from his previous team… and now their QB situation is a joke.
Yes, defense if pretty important, too. “The H Word” we’ve done enough to improve that defense and that 4-5 defensive players who’ve never played a snap in the NFL play way over their heads and look as veteran-like as possible.
July 13th, 2026 at 2:28 pm
So LynchMob on the one hand, you say Brady is better than Prescott even though Prescott beat him then turn around and say all that matters about Baker is wins? Seems a bit of a double standard at the very least.
Baker will get many wins when he gets an equally strong defense and his offensive line isn’t in tatters.
Maybe that’s this very year. Or close to it- perhaps. Injuries wrecked this team last year and the year before to the offensive line and the secondary. We have plenty of talent to compete and a lot will change for the better this season if our starters can play. That’s how teams win in the playoffs.
July 13th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
Pay the Man! Check Please. Sorry Haters!
July 13th, 2026 at 3:47 pm
Thank God Bucs won that SB against the chiefs ,(not to mention I had Bucs at 60-1),, yes the chiefs line was all banged up but our D took it to them ,,, But that game put Brady out of reach for Mahomes , forever . Beyond that Mahomes probably #2 all time (Montana is a good argument as well),, and boy top 10 does Herbert get tons and tons of love for not doing much in the playoffs either… BOLD Prediction ::::: Bucs /Chargers Super Bowl this year (you heard it from Vinny first , Joe mark the tape for me )
July 13th, 2026 at 4:52 pm
Pittsburgh, Jets, Arizona, Carolina, Atlanta, Raiders, Browns, NY giants, Miami, Saints will be happy to Baker. He’s not in a hurry.
July 13th, 2026 at 7:44 pm
LynchMob50 you sir are a diabolically funny dude!🤣 The new name of the pom pom squad is has to be Baker’s Moisty Boyyz!
You know they almost passed out when they read the title of this title the screams alarming. Cos all over the country thought these guy’s were being massacred!
July 13th, 2026 at 8:46 pm
For the “happy feet” Baker cliche’ crowd you just sound dumb. Any QB will tell you that footwork and a solid base are critical for throwing downfield. For doubters, just watch Peyton Manning in his prime who constantly adjusted his feet while he scanned the field.
The Baker footwork stuff is just another example of people who have no idea what they are talking about but want to be taken seriously. Happy feet or not, Baker will have a season that exceeds 2024. To remind the haters, 2024 for Baker was a season that only 3 QB’s in the history of the NFL have achieved with the combination of comp percentage greater than 70%, greater than 40TD’s, and over 4000 yards passing.
July 13th, 2026 at 9:11 pm
Could Baker go down a the NFL starting QB with the most different OCs in history? I’m pretty sure he has already had 10 (including ZR) ,,, hopefully Robinson isn’t a one year wonder like Coen and Canales