Baker Mayfield’s Bucs
September 6th, 2026
New big dog.
The past couple of years it was clear that the Bucs locker room was prowled by two legendary veterans: Mike Evans and Lavonte David.
Oh, Baker Mayfield was there, too. But even he seemed to defer to David. And while Evans was mostly a quiet guy, most of the players would step to the side when Evans had something to say.
Respect.
But now, David and Evans are gone. David is retired and Evans bolted to San Francisco.
So the Bucs are now Baker Mayfield’s team. And from the words of Bucs coach Todd Bowles recently on SiriusXM NFL Radio, there is no room that Mayfield is not welcome in, offensive or defensive position rooms.
“He’s so special,” Bowles said of Mayfield’s leadership. “He spends time with the defense as well as the offense and different position groups, all the way around.
“You can really appreciate that about him. He has a way of getting everybody going without getting on their nerves — and he has a way of getting on people’s nerves and getting them going. But he has a good feel for both [sides of the line of scrimmage].
He’s great to be around. He’s an outstanding leader. He’s the pulse of our offense.”
How important is Mayfield to the Bucs? Without Mayfield’s presence in the locker room, Bowles said, the Bucs are limited.
“You know, I don’t think we can go far without him,” Bowles said.
That’s saying a lot. Even though Bowles runs the defense, he seems to believe that it’s not the defense but Mayfield and his intangibles that can carry the Bucs far.
September 6th, 2026 at 8:07 am
Sounds like there may be a deal in the near future. Bucs like to make splash signings so maybe right before the first game. Just a guess though. I doubt they wait until the end of the season.
September 6th, 2026 at 8:08 am
Here come the Baker haters…
same ‘ol reteric.
September 6th, 2026 at 8:10 am
Baker’s leadership style: encourage you, irritate you, inspire you, then headbutt you with a helmet on. This isn’t Baker Mayfield playing quarterback for the Buccaneers anymore. It’s the Tampa Bay Bakerneers.
September 6th, 2026 at 8:46 am
Good article on Baker in the Athletic – everything rides on 6 – everything – the defense is pretty solid but not dominant, yet – if 6 stays healthy the Bucs will be ok
September 6th, 2026 at 8:52 am
Yeah all that talk with a coach who shouldn’t be a HC because he’s better as a DC and a quarterback that has choked in every big game he’s played in with the game on the line. And not to mention 5 and 6 games losing streaks every year with this quarterback and HC . And now with a OC that was trash last year. I’m looking at the quarterbacks coming out next year and I saw at least 7 quarterbacks that come in and play like Baker or better as a rookie.
September 6th, 2026 at 9:07 am
VV and LVD were good players but not leaders. Hopefully, we have better players on defense, more passionate and more accountable. Even LVD loafed last year.
September 6th, 2026 at 9:09 am
If Bake can learn to get on the ground instead of taking those big shots when he runs , then we have a chance , but if he continues to not protect himself, not so much.
September 6th, 2026 at 9:22 am
I’m sorry, was dime store Lovie speaking?
September 6th, 2026 at 9:28 am
Everyone knows the QB is the most important player
But, this fanbase gives Baker all of the credit when we’re winning
When we lose, it’s everyone fault except Baker
TB12 is the best that ever did it
When his team loses, he blame himself
When his team wins, he gives credit to all involved
That’s the leadership that players respect in the NFL
This fanbase is a group of backwards thinkers
September 6th, 2026 at 9:41 am
I’m just glad all the arguments can come to an end soon.
There are Baker lovers that think he’s a ” top 5 QB._
There are Baker haters that think he “sucks”..
Somewhere in-between lies the truth.
Some can’t stand Bowles and blame him anytime anything negative happens Buc related.
Some think he’s can lead this team to a Superbowl.
Somewhere in between most likely holds the truth.
After the games are played on this fine football season, trolls and haters will either disappear and/or change their names. I’ve watched to for decades.
Let the games begin
September 6th, 2026 at 9:58 am
Baker is probably our MVP for sure. I couldn’t believe watching the Dolphins game how he threw two dumb interceptions and fumbled the ball all in the second half. I think it’s hard to demand over $50 million when you pull stuff like that he’s got to eliminate the mistakes not now but like in week 16 through 18 he’s gotta finish better
September 6th, 2026 at 9:58 am
Loved that piece in the Atlantic! The word is rhetoric. Seems as if most disgruntled Bucs fans never made it past third grade.
September 6th, 2026 at 10:04 am
This is what I don’t understand about the Baker worship …
Career Primetime “Under the Lights”
Record: Jameis Winston 2-5. Mayfield 1-9
Passing yards: Winston 1942. Mayfield 2246
TDS: Winston 14. Mayfield 17
Interceptions: Winston 6. Mayfield 11
Passer Rating: Winston 94.1. Mayfield 83.6
There you have it. Not hate, just some primetime stats. With those in mind, however, I’m just asking for help understanding the Baker worship. Why was Jameis such a failure then while Baker is some the Teflon Diety?
We all criticized Jameis, and yes, Baker is the overall better QB between the two. But the primetime records speak for themselves. When Jameis threw a pic he was an idiot, but when Baker does it the OL or receiver screwed up. Why was Jameis critiqued one way and Baker another?
Why are those who rightly criticize Baker considered haters, and those who lambast Jameis knowledgeable football fans?
I want this team to win! And I think Baker is going to have to greatly up his game for that to happen.
Does that make me a hater? No! Only a Bucs fan.
September 6th, 2026 at 10:10 am
Can’t be a hater if you can objectively prove why the current HC is not the right guy for the job. I’ve analyzed Bowles career against previous Bucs HCs and he ranks as #5, with Arians, Dungy, Gruden and McKay clearly having better stats and careers. There is a big gap between Bowles and McKay. Bowles is just the best of the remaining coaches making him average. No surprise there. This is what we have seen consistently during his tenure. This season has to be his last chance to excel. Stats don’t lie!
September 6th, 2026 at 11:07 am
JA .. you answered your own question when you said “ and yes, Baker is the overall better QB between the two.”
Simple as that. I appreciated Jameis arm and his gunslinger attitude but primetime aside… 30 INTs and all his ridiculous antics (in game and out) were too much.
September 6th, 2026 at 11:12 am
I met a Buc fan yesterday that actually thinks the Bucs are forcing Baker out. I was almost as rude to her as some of the commenters on this here corner of the interweb. How can anyone think that this franchise doesn’t want Baker to do well.
September 6th, 2026 at 11:14 am
Jameis started 89 games in his 11 years. His record is 36-53 in those games.
Baker started 123 games in his 8 years. His record is 60-63 in those years.
Jameis threw 113 picks in those 89 games.
Baker has thrown 101 picks in those 123 games.
Winston did dumb shlt not befitting the team leader.
Baker doesn’t do dumb shlt not befitting a team leader.
JA. There’s so much more, and I mean it only gets uglier for Jameis. You’ve gone bat shlt, and not just a little bit.
September 6th, 2026 at 11:35 am
I’m not a Baker hater, I’m a skeptic. I’m rooting for him every time he hits the field but insert whatever stats you want to throw at me, and all I see with my eyes is a .500 QB, that can’t figure out how to find that next gear when he needs it the most.
I appreciate the plays he does make, but what good is stiff arming Bolsa in an electric play for a first down, then being gifted a trip all the way down to the 5-yard line and yet stall for 3 pts. That is essentially how Baker’s career has gone thus far. Lot flash, but the finish is just too soft.
Baker and these Bucs tend to thrive in underdog status, and yet after starting 4-0 last season, the national media takes notice and you’re no longer underdogs, and that’s when we figure out how to lose games. And no, Baker is not balling during our duds. It’s amazing how this team figures out how to play to the level of its worst unit. If we’re losing games consistently while hanging 30 pts on our opponents, you then can continue to point out how bad the defense has been but putting an already struggling unit in bad field position, or turning the ball over and putting them back on the field sooner than later, isn’t exactly helping either.
September 6th, 2026 at 11:48 am
pay this man
September 6th, 2026 at 11:48 am
So now all we need to do is wait for the real games to start, and this sh!t to continue. However Baker plays, the haters will hate and the fanbois will drool. In my opinion, it won’t make any difference.
The Bucs (Glazers) don’t want Baker and are never going to offer him anything other than a below market contract with little guarantees. Baker will not accept that kind of deal. So what happens?
IMO – irrespective of how he plays, they will do a tag and trade. They will ‘try’ to bundle Baker and their bottom half of the draft #1 for a higher #1 pick hoping to get a new QB. They can eat the accelerated $30M because they will have no highly paid QB. They get all of Baker’s future dead money off the books in a year they can afford it.
Then Bucs fans can look forward to a 2027 season with an inexperienced QB, new HC & maybe GM. They may keep the GM if all this nonsense is coming directly from the Glaziers. Hard to blame him for doing what he was told, although I would argue he should be gone as well just based on the roster.
September 6th, 2026 at 11:49 am
Zoo, Good post. That aligns pretty closely with how I feel about Baker. We’ve just got to close that Gap that still exists. This team is too streaky, both positive and negative.
JA, noting The prime Time games has been done. Plenty of times. And though there is some relevance there, the majority of our games are not prime time, so I’m not sure why you chose that metric. And as someone else noted, you ended up answering your own question.
September 6th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
I’m a long time Bucs fan
I’m not a fan of individual players
When players are stinking the field, they need to be benched
Todd Bowles deserves most of the blame for last season failures
Because he refused to bench Baker, Bucky, LVD
Those three players were the main reason for the meltdown
They were horrible, their play were disgusting
If you think differently, go back, and watch the films
People lie all of the time, films don’t lie
September 6th, 2026 at 12:20 pm
Lakeland. Baker played disgusting, like Bucky and LVD. And those 3 were responsible for our meltdown?
You are 100% correct- the film don’t lie. But you do, Lakeland.
September 6th, 2026 at 12:32 pm
With Todd Bowles speaking how special Mayfield is with both the offensive and defensive players, what’s holding up the Glazers in writing that big check. IIs it show me time – win the NFC South division and get to the NFC Championship game. If the Bucs are healthy for the playoffs and play well Mayfield will be playing out his remaining year as a Buc for life.