Baker Mayfield is coming off his second season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the best two years of his NFL career. After making the first Pro Bowl of his career in 2023, the veteran quarterback significantly improved his numbers last season, completing 71.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. With Tampa winning the last four NFC South Championships, Mayfield is undoubtedly the guy for the Bucs as they try to continue their dominance.
After the quarterback’s last two seasons, he has established a new standard for himself, but it’s fair to say surpassing his career best 2024 season may be a tall task moving forward. However, a closer look at the numbers makes it clear Mayfield could have a better year in 2025 with one simple fix. The obvious fix is throwing less interceptions, after the quarterback led the league with 16 INTs last year. This isn’t about that though— Mayfield knows he needs to do a better job of protecting the football. This is about a fix that’s outside of the quarterback’s control.
In a recent NFL.com piece looking at the unluckiest players from 2024, Mayfield was listed for being tied with Justin Herbert as the quarterbacks with the most dropped passes. According to Next Gen Stats, both guys had 25 dropped passes.
Baker Mayfield could increase production again if Buccaneers drop less passes
This, of course, is out of Mayfield’s control, and drops are a part of the game. However, falling victim to a league-leading 25 drops is a ton of production off the board. Mayfield’s already impressive Pro Bowl season could’ve been even better with a little more help from teammates.
If the veteran quarterback can deliver at the same level in 2025, keep the ball away from the other team, and get more help from his talented weapons on offense, the league could see Mayfield elevate his game for a third straight year.