The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might have made the playoffs in 2024, but quarterback Baker Mayfield’s season wasn’t without frustration. Mayfield landed on one of the NFL’s most unfortunate stat lists for the season.
The Buccaneers offense leaned on Mayfield’s leadership and playmaking ability, but too often his efforts were squandered by his receivers.
According to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, Mayfield was tied for the league lead in dropped passes. This stat sheds light on some on their offensive inconsistencies throughout the year.
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Dec 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (17) reacts after dropping a fourth down pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
“The two former first-round picks were each the victim of a host of dropped passes,” Patra noted. “According to Next Gen Stats, Mayfield and Herbert each had 25 passes dropped in 2024 (tied for the most in the NFL).” “Only one pass behind were Joe Burrow and Aaron Rodgers (24 each), with Jordan Love rounding out the top five at 23 drops.”
While Mayfield still managed to guide the Buccaneers to meaningful wins and a postseason appearance, the dropped pass total speaks volumes about the missed opportunities that may have cost Tampa Bay even more success. Last year, according to Bucs Nation writer Gil Arcia, Mayfield addressed how he addresses dropped passes.
“This is one of the things I learned early on. The worst thing you can tell a guy is to catch the damn ball,” Mayfield said. “It’s not like he’s trying to drop it. When it comes down to it, you look at, ‘Okay, did he take his eyes off of it? Did he have his hands in the right position?’ You look at the fundamentals of back to the basics of catching the football and where they went wrong on that. Everybody knows they’re trying to catch the ball.”
As Tampa Bay looks ahead to 2025, improving the reliability of the receiving corps will be a critical part of building in training camp and providing Mayfield with the consistent support he needs.
