The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit pretty at 4-1 after their win over the Seattle Seahawks, with many now coming around to a thought I've had since last season - Baker Mayfield isn't a one-hit wonder.
Having two good seasons back-to-back since arriving in Tampa, in Year 3, Mayfield is again playing some of the best football of his career and is in the conversation for MVP.
Yes, we get it's early, so we won't pull out the anointing oils just yet, but others? They are all aboard the Baker train in 2025, and for NFL.com's Nick Shook, in his latest quarterback rankings, he has a new player at the summit. - Mr. Mayfield.
"Yes, we have a new No. 1 in the QB Index, and for good reason," Shook writes. "After five weeks, Baker Mayfield is one of the league's top MVP candidates. He's a cold-blooded destroyer of dreams who has proven no challenge is too great for him to overcome. The Buccaneers are the NFL's most exciting team because of Mayfield, the V12 engine powering them to a 4-1 start.
"He'll talk trash to your fans in the tunnel before the game, rip their hearts out on the field and let you hear about it on his way out. That 10:1 TD-to-INT ratio looks pretty good, too."
Baker's Bucs redemption story nearly complete
It can be easy to forget that when Mayfield arrived in Tampa Bay, he was on the NFL scrap heap, with failed tenures at the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers. Many thought he was on his last chance as an NFL starter.
In fact, he had to beat out Kyle Trask for the starting role, and as they say, the rest is history.
Back-to-back division titles, a playoff win, and a career-best season in 2024 (4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns), and now in his third season, Mayfield looks even better.
Where you get drafted matters, and the same can apply here for Mayfield. He finally got to an organization that embraced him and allowed him to play freely (not to say others didn't), and the results have been astounding.
Mayfield is No. 1 in the NFL quarterback rankings, and we doubt he'll be moved off for some time.
More Buccaneers news:
- Bucs injury updates: Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin still in doubt for Week 6 | Sporting News
- Baker Mayfield lets his game speak after fiery exchange in Seattle win | Sporting News
- Buccaneers' Desmond Watson, formerly 464 pounds, breaks silence on weight loss | Sporting News
- Buccaneers' Todd Bowles offers Mike Evans injury update | Sporting News