The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have something special on their hands with Baker Mayfield, but how much better can it get? Mayfield's career resurgence with the Buccaneers has been something to behold, as he's not only turned his entire career around, but he's also turned into one of the best QBs in the NFL.
Helping lead Tampa to the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, the Buccaneers already look well-positioned to win the NFC South yet again and earn a top-4 seed in the postseason, and with teams like the Eagles and Vikings not looking all that great at the moment, the Bucs might have themselves an inside track at a deep playoff run.
But they aren't going to get there without the steady play of Baker Mayfield, and for the veteran QB, these next two games could thrust him over the top in the early NFL MVP race.
Baker Mayfield's MVP candidacy can skyrocket over the next two games
Baker Mayfield is absolutely an MVP candidate thus far in 2025. Here's what he's done up to this point:
4-1
112/172 (65.1%)
1,283 yards
10 touchdowns
1 interception
104.4 passer rating
The 4-1 Buccaneers are tied with the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFC through the first five weeks. Well, who do the Buccaneers get to play in Weeks 6 and 7? Yep, the 49ers and Lions. Tampa then has an away tilt against the New Orleans Saints before their Week 9 bye.
You can see where I'm going with this. Tampa, a flawed team, is 4-1 on the season and has a great opportunity in front of them to not only take down the 49ers and Lions, but also earn what could end up being crucial head-to-head tiebreakers in NFC playoff seeding.
What's the conversation going to be with this team if the Buccaneers take care of business and get to 6-1 in two weeks? They aren't going to get there unless Baker Mayfield plays his tail off, and if he does, his MVP candidacy would have to skyrocket, period.
The MVP is truly now the 'best QB' award for the most part, so Mayfield plays the right position. I also do believe his name is carrying more and more weight as he continues to stack great performances. He threw 41 touchdown passes in 2024 and eclipsed 4,000 yards. He's got the capability to be a top-tier passer, and if the Bucs can win these next two games against two NFC juggernauts, the MVP chatter should only get louder, and it would be much deserved.