Why Baker Mayfield Fell Out of ESPN's Top 10 Quarterbacks List in 2026

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield had one of the best seasons of his career in 2024, and 2025 looked to be going the same way.

Mayfield threw 41 touchdowns in 2024, and during the first half of 2025, he presented himself as an MVP candidate and led the Bucs to a 6-2 record with signature wins over the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks.

In the second half of the 2025 season, though, the Bucs went 2-7 and Mayfield's quality fell significantly. Mayfield's stellar play last season earned him a spot on Jeremy Fowler of ESPN's top 10 quarterbacks list before the season — voted on by coaches, scouts and executives — but Mayfield was just an honorable mention in this year's edition.

Fowler explained why those executives, coaches and scouts didn't include him in this year's ranking, and it has to do with that big second-half collapse.

Mayfield's Second Half Hurt His Stock

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

Fowler attributed Mayfield's drop to his disastrous second half of the season, where his productivity and efficiency massively tanked after Week 8. Mayfield began the season as an MVP-caliber quarterback, but his play dropped off in a big way after that.

"It's easy to forget Mayfield was an MVP candidate early last season. That's because after Week 7, he went from monumental to mediocre, with a 61.5% completion rate and 14 touchdowns to 10 interceptions," Fowler wrote. "He is entering the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract."

Mayfield's play certainly hit a downturn, but there's a general consensus as to why that happened. While Mayfield still has some problems he needs to work through as a quarterback, his numerous injuries (the extent of which he recently revealed on Netflix's "Quarterback" show) certainly affected his play in a negative way.

Playing through injuries made the second half of the year tough, but he enters 2026 healthy. He also has a new offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson, who is very good friends with Liam Coen — Coen, now the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, got Mayfield's best season out of him, so that could be an encouraging sign.

Mayfield is ready to play, but he's also embroiled in a contract dispute with the Bucs. Mayfield wants an extension before training camp begins, and that's in just nine days.

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