Can Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Pull Off What Sam Darnold Did?

Can Baker Mayfield get it done in Tampa Bay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has been one of the biggest talking points around the team this offseason. He's playing on the last year of his three-year, $100 million deal, and many are wondering if he's set to be extended at some point before the start of the regular season.

There's a lot to like about Mayfield — he had an MVP-caliber start to the season in 2025, and in 2024, he threw for over 40 touchdowns in Liam Coen's offensive system. He's shown he's valuable with his legs as a scrambler and the attitude and competitiveness he brings to the locker room has been lauded plenty.

That being said, there are still. a few things to be concerned about. Mayfield's -0.075 EPA/play from Week 11 onward last year was 25th in the NFL, bottom-five among qualifying quarterbacks, per SumerSports. Mayfield has also taken the most sacks on any quarterback from 2023 on, and he's 10th in the league in fumbles in that same time span.

Despite all that, though, Mayfield has shown to play more great football than he hasn't in recent years, and that could set him up for a similar arc to last year's Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

Can Baker Mayfield Win a Super Bowl During His Redemption Arc?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon went over a list of multiple quarterbacks who were most likely to have the arc that Sam Darnold just underwent. Darnold, who flamed out as a starter for the Jets, had a career resurgence with the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks and won a Super Bowl with Seattle in 2025.

Mayfield was among the quarterbacks on the list.

"As an eight-year veteran, Mayfield faces going down the Geno/Jacoby path if he doesn't bounce back in 2026. The good news is that with Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. at receiver, a quality offensive line, and soft competition within the NFC South, a late-blooming Mayfield could certainly find another gear at this point in his career," Gagnon wrote. "The Bucs still aren't a frontline Super Bowl contender, but they have the talent and experience to make a surprise run if Mayfield delivers a career year. And that's entirely within the realm of possibility."

Super Bowls aren't just won with quarterbacks — it takes an entire team, and Tampa Bay has made efforts to improve the defense in a big way this offseason through the draft and free agency. But quarterback is the most important position in football, and if Mayfield wants to hoist a trophy like Darnold did this last year, he'll have to play more consistent football than he did in 2025.

The next step at making sure that happens will be at OTAs, which start on May 26. Mayfield typically appears there, so there's no reason to think he'll skip them this year.

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