Is Baker Mayfield Underrated?

During the peak of NFL "List Season," BSPN researcher Evan Kaplan highlighted an overlooked statistic: Baker Mayfield leads the league in touchdown passes since joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Amid widespread quarterback rankings placing Mayfield anywhere from 5th to 16th, the analysis suggests his performance should establish a floor of 8th, noting that similar achievements by higher-profile players like Lamar Jackson would generate disproportionate acclaim despite Jackson having only one more career playoff win than Mayfield.

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles is credited for persistently advocating the signing of Mayfield to general manager Jason Licht. The move proved remarkably efficient, as Mayfield replaced Tom Brady without costing any draft picks. Remarkably, in the two years following Brady’s retirement, Mayfield emerged as the NFL’s touchdown pass leader.

Specific statistics from Kaplan’s July 2025 tweet underscore Mayfield’s impact: He has thrown 69 touchdown passes over his two seasons with Tampa Bay. In 2024, he became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history (alongside Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Joe Burrow) to achieve 40+ touchdown passes and a 70% completion rate in a single season.

The development is viewed as a historic breakthrough for the Buccaneers, who secured a franchise quarterback in his prime after 45 years of searching. Mayfield’s willingness to accept team-friendly contracts is noted as an exceptionally rare advantage complementing his on-field success.