Tom Brady Names Baker Mayfield Throw One of NFL's Best in 2025

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a storied run with quarterback Tom Brady, winning a Super Bowl with the greatest quarterback of all time during the three years he was with the Bucs in 2020-22. Brady will largely be known as a New England Patriot for the rest of his life, but he's always spoken fondly of Tampa Bay and keeps up with them throughout the NFL season.

Brady has recently become a big part of FOX Sports' content creation as a commentator and pundit, and he showed just how much he watches the Bucs once again when he ranked his best throws of the 2025 season. One of those throws was from Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, and it was against Brady's favorite childhood team.

Tom Brady praises Baker Mayfield for dime vs. 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) reacts during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Brady's favorite Baker throw in question came when the Bucs played the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6. With 2:47 left in the third quarter and the Buccaneers up 20-19, Mayfield found wideout Tez Johnson for a 45-yard touchdown on a post route right up the middle of the field.

The great throw and catch was the result of a low-flying deep ball from Mayfield, which Brady noted had to be dropped in perfectly to work. As a result, Johnson was able to catch the back half of the football over the defenders, leaving Brady thoroughly impressed.

"What Baker has always had and always done a great job of, he's very sneaky athletic, " Brady said. "He's got a ton of explosive power in his lower body. Very few QBs can look all the way to the right side of the field, then come back to the left side of the field, and then he throws a post route... if you throw a flat deep ball, it needs to be perfectly thrown."

Mayfield was playing lights out in the beginning of the year, and the throw to Johnson was emblematic of his MVP-level play at that time. Brady knows plenty of ball, and he had to give Mayfield some props for the excellent touchdown pass — one he believes stands among the NFL's elite from this past season.

Mayfield had a sharp downturn during the back half of the year, so he'll hope to get back to where he was at this point in 2025 for the entirety of 2026. And while he does, Brady will certainly be watching him take snaps for his old team.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 season.

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