CBS Sports picks Buccaneers' MVP for 2024 campaign

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a season to be proud of in 2024. The Bucs won 10 games en route to yet another NFC South divisional title — the fourth in a row for Tampa Bay — and made the playoffs. The 10-win effort was Todd Bowles' best as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and plenty of stars shined across the board.

It can be tough to pick a 'Most Valuable Player' in the NFL for every team, but it is a league dominated by quarterback play, and Tampa Bay's was excellent this year. CBS Sports picked out an MVP for every NFL team, and naturally, writer Tyler Sullivan pinpointed the man who helped lead the Bucs to a top-five offense in 2024 — quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) during the second quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Washington Commanders. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Here's what Sullivan wrote on Tampa Bay's signal caller:

"The Buccaneers were able to win the NFC South even after losing Chris Godwin midway through the season and also with Mike Evans missing some time due to injury. That's a credit to Mayfield, who threw for a career-high 41 passing touchdowns this season on top of 4,500 yards passing. Mayfield got that done by helping elevate the likes of Cade Otton, Bucky Irving and Jalen McMillan."

Mayfield's 41 passing touchdowns were a career-high, but he'll have to maintain it with yet another offensive coordinator after OC Liam Coen left to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The campaign was a marked improvement over his first season as a Buccaneer, when he threw 28 touchdowns under offensive coordinator Dave Caneles.

Still, Mayfield has quite a bit to work on even if he was an MVP. The highs were high, but the lows were low — Mayfield threw a league-high 16 interceptions and fumbled the ball 13 times, another league-high. If he can wrangle those things in next year and remain strong in the passing game under a new offensive coordinator, Mayfield could be dangerous once again.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

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