Baker Mayfield Credits Tampa Bay Success to Being Allowed to Be Himself and Not Act Like a Franchise Quarterback

In 2024, Baker Mayfield proved that his 2023 resurgence was no fluke. In fact, he was even better the second time around with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mayfield set career highs across the board and stacked up well against other top QBs.

Mayfield’s nutty 71.4 completion percentage was nearly seven points higher than his next-best mark (and third in the NFL). His 4,500 passing yards were nearly 500 more than his previous career high set in 2023 (also third in the league). The Tampa QB’s 41 touchdown passes were 13 more than his previous best (and tied for second in the NFL). His 106.8 passer rating was over 10 points higher than his previous high (and fourth in the NFL).

He did lead the league in interceptions with 16 (though his career high remains 21, set back in 2019), but that’s part of the Mayfield experience. He takes chances. He’s unorthodox. And you can’t beat that passion.

In the early years of his career, other franchises tried to turn him into something he wasn’t. That’s why he credited the Tampa Bay brain trust (general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles) with his renaissance on the New Heights podcast recently.

“When you step in and your GM and your head coach say, ‘Hey, just be you.’ After I’ve been told at every stop and everywhere I go, ‘Hey, you need to tone it down a little bit. You need to be a franchise quarterback.’ That’s just not who I am. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. … But when it’s time to turn the lights on and go and do something, I’m gonna do it,” Mayfield said.

“When I stepped into the building, they all just told me to be myself. It’s been, not to say comfortable, but it’s felt like home from the beginning,” he added.

Last year, Mayfield had a higher completion percentage than Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, threw for more yards than Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, and tossed more TDs than Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen. That’s pretty good company.

And what’s scary is Mayfield could be even better in 2025. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are back at full health after both missing extended time last year. And now, they’ve got another “stud” in the receiver room with first-round pick Emeka Egbuka, who’s coming off a National Championship at Ohio State.

“And Emeka Egbuka is an absolute stud. He’s the real deal. You know how you can’t teach guys leaving the ground to catch the ball. He’s always grounded when he catches it. Keeps moving,” Mayfield said.

“There’s YAC potential out the wazoo there. But he’s just so damn smart. And he’s willing to block, willing to do everything we ask him to do. We can plug him and play him at any of the three receiver spots right now. It’s pretty exciting.”

It’s not just those three wideouts either. They bring back their entire solid offensive line, Cade Otton is a reliable big body receiver at tight end, and the running back duo of Bucky Irving and Rachaad White is very exciting as well.

Could we really be talking about Baker Mayfield in an MVP conversation this season? It’s certainly not as far-fetched as it once seemed.