Buccaneers fans were outraged Baker Mayfield didn't win Comeback Player of the Year
By Josh Hill
We've reached the end of the NFL season but before the Super Bowl can be played the NFL needed to hand out some awards.
Despite the season he put together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield was not among the players honored on Thursday night. Joe Flacco walked away with the award, beating out Baker, Demar Hamlin, Matthew Stafford, and Tua Tagovailoa.
It seemed like Hamlin had the inside track on winning the award, after all it's pretty hard to top coming back from what he did. On the field, though, there was a pretty solid case to make for Baker being the most deserving out of that group and it's not hard to argue he had a better season than Flacco did.
Baker set career-highs in completion percentage, yards, touchdowns, and he had the second-lowest interception rate he's ever had. Beyond the statistics, he helped reset the culture in Tampa Bay when all seemed lost after Tom Brady retired, and he helped carry the team to a third straight division title and a trip to the NFC Divisional Round. All of this led to Baker being named the Most Improved Player and earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl -- where he won Offensive MVP.
Voters felt differently, though, and Flacco's five games with the Cleveland Browns was enough to win him the award. It wasn't good enough for Bucs fans who weren't shy about how much they disagreed with the decision.
Buccaneers are outraged Baker Mayfield didn't win Comeback Player of the Year
Almost immediately after the award was handed to Flacco, Bucs fans took to social media to voice their outrage over Baker getting robbed.
Baker was robbed. He was the only finalist that actually played an entire season and took a team that was favored to be in the running for the #1 pick to the divisional round.
— James Yarcho (@JYarcho_BUCS) February 9, 2024
Joe Flacco won comeback player of the YEAR award having played 5/17 games over Baker Mayfield who played all 17, won the NFC south and a playoff game.
— Ashlie (@EMT_Ashlie) February 9, 2024
Explain it to me like I’m 5
Ever since Baker won @PFWAwriters’ Most Improved Player, I couldn’t care less about the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
— Salty Buccaneer🧂🏴☠️🟥🟧⬜️ (@SaltyBuc91) February 9, 2024
Real ones know Baker proved everyone wrong when they wrote him tf off before season.
If the criteria is playing then Baker/Tua got hoed
— Alterraun⚡ (@Hockfan445) February 9, 2024
If it wasn't Hamlin IDK how Matthew Stafford or Baker Mayfield doesn't win it (they were actually good) but alright
— J🇵🇸 (@Truevillany) February 9, 2024
Joe Flacco played 4 games. Baker Mayfield balled his ass off all year for Tampa. Trash.
— Hoesay (@JoseWorldPeace) February 9, 2024
Baker robbed https://t.co/EqxsXtxkzf
— Parlay Stooge (@Tyree901) February 9, 2024
Y’all hate Baker??? https://t.co/HZFqpsoEie
— konnxct (@konnxct) February 9, 2024
I'm sorry but Baker Mayfield was robbed
— intelligent hoodlum 🧪 (@hueynewton00) February 9, 2024
Over Baker???? https://t.co/hOx9MF9vjZ
— ‘01 Roc-A-Fella Records (@jake_thecap) February 9, 2024
Flacco did have an impressive -- and unexpected -- return to the NFL. He got up off his couch and helped lead the Browns back into the playoff picture, and he deserves big props for what he was able to do.
To say that his five games was better or more valuable than what Baker did over the course of an entire season is a bit of a stretch. That's what the voters, though, but it doesn't mean Bucs fans have to accept it.
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