The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the unenviable task of replacing Tom Brady under center after the 2022 season, and general manager Jason Licht took a flyer on veteran Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield was fresh off a short stint with the Rams and signed to a one-year, $4 million “prove it” deal by Licht and the Bucs. And boy, did he ever “prove it.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) calls a play against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The former Heisman Trophy winner earned a three-year, $100 million deal from the Bucs and posted a second-straight career season. In 2024, Mayfield posted 4,500 yards while completing 71.4 percent of his passes with 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions as the Bucs posted a 10-7 record to win the South for the fourth straight time.
But that wasn’t good enough for one analyst.
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon inexplicably called out Mayfield in a recent article, and called him “insufficient” last season.
“The 2018 No. 1 overall pick led the NFC in touchdown passes but also in interceptions,” Gagnon wrote. “And that combined with extreme inconsistency just doesn’t suffice on a decent-not-great team.”
Mayfield hasn’t been perfect for the Bucs by any stretch, but he’s been exactly what the team needed in the post-Brady era. And Jason Licht has zero regrets for taking a chance on the former Oklahoma Sooner.
