Is Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Playing Through Injuries a Big Problem?

Netflix's newest season of its behind-the-scenes NFL show, "Quarterback", is here, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans can watch star quarterback Baker Mayfield's 2025 journey chronicled in its third season.

The season showed Mayfield's competitive prowess, his trash-talking acumen and even an inside look at teammate Mike Evans' last game as a Buccaneer. But it also revealed something that Bucs fans and NFL pundits have been talking about all offseason — Mayfield's injuries.

Mayfield suffered a large number of injuries in 2025, as the show revealed. And after a very poor performance afterward and a precedent for this very scenario four years prior, it's fair to ask

A Tale of Two Halves

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mayfield was an MVP candidate to start the year when the Bucs went 6-2 over the first eight weeks. He posted an EPA/play of 0.148, had a completion percentage of 67.2% and boasted an impressive 8.6 air yards per attempt with 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

All that changed after the bye week, though. From Weeks 10-18, Mayfield's productivity plummeted. His EPA/play dropped to 0.039, his air yards per attempt went down to 7.5 and his completion percentage over expected went from -1.8% to -2.4%. He threw just two picks from Weeks 1-8, but he threw nine from Weeks 10-18, and the Bucs went 2-7 during that stretch.

His deep ball acumen particularly suffered. Mayfield isn't a great deep-ball passer, but his deep-ball accuracy dropped from 25.7% in Weeks 1-8 (9/35) to 20.8% in Weeks 10-18 (5/24).

So what happened?

Many pointed to the numerous injuries Mayfield appeared to suffer during the year, even outside of the AC joint sprain that kept him out for a half against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12. And on the new season of "Quarterback", Mayfield confirmed that a significant number of injuries hampered his play during the 2025 season.

Mayfield Suffered Many Injuries in 2025

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) looks on against the Atlanta Falcons | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mayfield revealed on quarterback that he had a long list of big injuries throughout the season.

He sprained his MCL and PCL in Week 2 against the Houston Texans in Week 2, and he also had a bone bruise he suffered during that same game — he reaggravated that bone bruise in Week 7 vs. the Detroit Lions.

Mayfield also suffered a tendon injury in his throwing arm biceps in Week 3 against the New York Jets. The bruising from that injury was so bad that he wore a sleeve to cover it up.

Finally, he suffered the AC joint sprain against the Rams that saw Teddy Bridgewater play in relief for him in the second half.

Mayfield played through all of those injuries in 2025, missing just that one half in Week 12. And while it speaks to his toughness and his passion for the game, it brings up a very valid question — does Mayfield hurt his own team by playing through injuries too often instead of resting?

To answer that question, it may be worth looking to the last time Mayfield toughed it out through major injuries — his 2021 campaign with the Cleveland Browns.

Mayfield Has Done This Before

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) rushes into the end zone to score during the first half of an NFL game — Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) rushes into the end zone to score during the first half of an NFL football game | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In 2021, Mayfield suffered a partially torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder during a (funnily enough) Week 2 game vs. the Texans.

The injury affected him throughout the entire season. He threw 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and completed just 60.5% of his passes, and he posted a very poor -2.7% CPOE. Mayfield didn't play in the last game of the season to get surgery for his shoulder, but in the end, the damage was done.

The saga behind Mayfield's 2021 campaign eventually led the Browns to move on in favor of Deshaun Watson. And while that was a very poor move (for a number of reasons), his season did set a precedent for what happened in 2025. Mayfield's injuries certainly affected his ability to execute last season, and while it wasn't the whole story, it was a contributing factor to Tampa Bay's sharp decline.

So, with all that established, what should have happened in 2025 to mitigate this? Which party is to blame?

Whose Fault Is It?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles during the second half against the Carolina Panthers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A player like Mayfield will always want to play. It's in an athlete's nature to want to tough out injuries, and it will always be tough to make an athlete sit themselves. Play through injury and you're criticized, but the notion that an athlete took themselves out of the action could also be seen as weak and those same critiques would come in anyway.

The team should have a proper say in things, and if Mayfield's injuries were so severe that they affected the team throughout the back stretch — and it certainly looked as if they did — sitting him may have been the right call for Todd Bowles and his coaching staff. If a short IR stint or a few games out would have prevented any reaggravation or allowed something to heal even a bit, it may have been worth it.

The problem with that, though, is that the Buccaneers did not have a backup quarterback who could right the ship in Mayfield's absence. Bridgewater came in for Mayfield against the Rams in the second half, but in that game, he threw for just 62 yards in that half and completed a very poor 53.3% of his passes.

That's not great, and perhaps even a hobbled Mayfield still offered Tampa Bay the best shot to win. But that's on the team, too, as it's up to general manager Jason Licht to ensure that a backup quarterback can still give the team a chance if the starter goes down, and Bridgewater clearly would never be that quarterback for Tampa Bay after watching his Rams performance.

The Bucs have also frequently mentioned their desire to "let Baker be Baker" when it comes to his running. But if the hits he willingly takes while running can give him injuries, as we saw in 2025, it would also be up to the Bucs to rein him in, and for Mayfield to be more willing to miss contact as he gets into his 30s.

Final Thoughts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warms up before the game against the Carolina Panthers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yes, Mayfield's insistence on playing through injuries is troublesome. It affected his play in 2021 and affected his play in 2025, and while other factors contributed to Tampa Bay's downfall last season — other injuries outside of Mayfield, coaching issues and a lack of quality depth — Mayfield's decline in play that certainly seemed to be caused by injuries was a big part of it.

That being said, it's up to the team to coach Mayfield on taking contact, understand when he is too hurt to play and to ensure their second option is quality enough to replace him for short periods at a time. None of that seemed to happen in 2025, and that mixture did the Buccaneers no favors.

The Bucs took a step toward proper preparation by signing Jake Browning as the team's backup quarterback. But it will be up to them to make sure there's a balance between Mayfield making things happen in his signature fashion and avoiding unnecessary danger — and it will indeed be up to Mayfield to be aware of his own mortality as well.

Tampa Bay and Baker Mayfield return to training camp on July 28.

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