Honestly, if you told a Cleveland Browns fan five years ago that Baker Mayfield would be the franchise cornerstone of the post-Brady era in Tampa, they’d probably laugh in your face. Then they’d probably cry. But here we are in January 2026, and the narrative has shifted so wildly it’s hard to keep up. Baker isn’t just "finding himself" anymore. He’s basically the heartbeat of a team that refuses to go away.
The 2025 season was a weird one for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It was a year defined by the word "resilience"—a term Mayfield uses constantly. He finished the season Top-10 in the league for passing yards (3,693) and touchdowns (26). But those numbers don't tell the whole story. They don't show him standing on the sidelines with his arm in a sling after a brutal shoulder injury against the Rams in Week 12. They don't show the grit it took to watch Teddy Bridgewater take over while he was itching to get back out there.
People keep waiting for the "old Baker" to show up—the one who throws three picks in a quarter and gets into Twitter feuds. Instead, they’re getting a guy who completed 87.9% of his passes against Seattle in a 38-35 thriller. That’s an NFL record for anyone with over 30 attempts in a game.
The Dual-Threat Reality Nobody Expected
We usually think of dual-threat quarterbacks as the guys who run 4.4 forty-yard dashes. Baker isn't that. He’s 30 years old and looks like he’s put through the wringer most Sundays. Yet, in 2025, he rushed for a career-high 382 yards.
Think about that.
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He led all NFL quarterbacks in yards per rush at 6.9 (for those with 50+ carries). He wasn't just scrambling for his life; he was moving the chains. On third downs, he ran the ball 29 times and picked up 21 first downs. That is a 72.4% success rate. It’s annoying for defenses. You cover Mike Evans, you bracket the rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka, and then this guy with a scruffy beard slides past a linebacker for 12 yards.
Why the 2026 Offseason is a Total Mess
Despite the individual success, the Bucs missed the playoffs, and the fallout has been swift. Head coach Todd Bowles is staying, but he’s basically fired everyone else. They are currently on the hunt for their fifth offensive coordinator in as many years.
Imagine trying to learn a new language every single year for five years. That’s what Mayfield is doing with these playbooks.
Names like Todd Monken and Mike McDaniel are floating around as potential hires. If the Bucs land McDaniel, the league should probably be worried. Think about what that guy did in Miami. Now imagine him with an arsenal that includes a healthy Mike Evans (who just tied Jerry Rice with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons), Chris Godwin, and Egbuka. It’s a track team.
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What Really Happened With the Mike Evans Record?
There was so much talk about Mike Evans and whether he’d finally drop off. He didn't. Even with only 30 catches in the first half of the season due to some nagging stuff, he still managed to hit that 1,000-yard milestone for the 11th year in a row.
- The Jerry Rice Connection: Evans is now the only player in history to start his career with 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons.
- The Touchdown Machine: He’s sitting at 109 career touchdowns.
- The 2026 Fear: There’s a real chance this was his last ride in Tampa. His projected market value is high, and the Bucs have some serious cap issues coming up.
Tristan Wirfs is currently set to eat up $36.3 million of the cap in 2026. Antoine Winfield Jr. is another big hit at over $13 million. The math is getting tricky for GM Jason Licht.
The Defensive Anchor: Antoine Winfield Jr.
While Baker is the face of the offense, Antoine Winfield Jr. is the undisputed king of the defense. He’s coming off another Pro Bowl year in 2025 where he racked up 93 tackles and two interceptions. Since he entered the league in 2020, no defensive back has more quarterback hits (25) or strip-sacks (6).
He’s 5'9", but he plays like he’s 6'4". He’s one of those rare safeties who can play deep middle and then suddenly appear in the backfield to blow up a screen pass. He’s entering year three of his massive deal in 2026, and while some critics point to the cap hit, the tape says he’s worth every penny.
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Moving Forward: The Bucs’ To-Do List
If the Buccaneers want to capitalize on Baker Mayfield’s current form, they can’t just "run it back" with a new coordinator and hope for the best. The run game was... well, it was okay. Bucky Irving showed flashes with 588 yards, and Sean Tucker found the end zone seven times, but the consistency wasn't there.
Actionable Steps for the 2026 Season:
- Nail the OC Hire: They need a "quarterback whisperer" who won't be gone in 12 months. Stability is the only thing Baker hasn't had.
- Fix the Interior O-Line: Graham Barton and Luke Goedeke are solid, but Mayfield took 36 sacks in 2025. That has to go down if he’s going to stay healthy.
- The Mike Evans Decision: Pay the man or find a way to replace 1,000 yards of production. Egbuka is great, but he’s not a jump-ball specialist yet.
- Maximize the Youth: Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson combined for a lot of production late in the year. They need to be core parts of the 2026 scheme, not just "backup options."
The Bucs are in a weird spot. They have a quarterback who is playing the best football of his life, a legendary receiver chasing history, and a defense that can't stop hitting people. But without a cohesive coaching staff, they’re just spinning their wheels. The 2026 season will either prove that Baker Mayfield is a legitimate elite starter or that the Bucs are just a "scrappy" team that can't quite get over the hump.
Keep an eye on the coordinator interviews over the next week. That’s where the 2026 season will be won or lost.