Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield Disrespected in PFF Quarterback Rankings

Pro Football Focus slighted Baker Mayfield in their NFL quarterback rankings.

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) gestures before the snap against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half of a 2024 NFC wild card game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

NFL OTAs are underway, and players are back in their respective markets getting work in with their teammates ahead of the 2024 NFL season. For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this leaves a few veteran players who were with the franchise a season ago absent as they are optional.

Preparing for training camp, Todd Bowles and the rest of the Buccaneers coaching staff can help acclimate new players and begin to establish a winning culture for the season.

With this, though, the offseason discourse reaches its peak. Free agency is done, the NFL Draft process jumps to focusing on the 2025 class as rookies are now with their new teams and training camp is still a ways away.

READ MORE: Three Observations from Day 1 of Buccaneers 2024 OTAs

Debating quarterbacks — the most important position in football — creates some of the most controversial conversations. Recently, Pro Football Focus ranked each of the 32 starting quarterbacks around the NFL.

In the PFF rankings, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was slotted No. 20 in the league. In all honesty, this is surprising. Mayfield signed on a discounted deal last season, succeeding Tom Brady, and went out and led Tampa Bay to the postseason. One would have assumed that would end up earning Mayfield more respect around the league, but it hasn't seemed to have done so.

"Mayfield played on a one-year, 'prove-it' deal in 2023, where the 'prove-it' part could have spelled the end of his time as an NFL starter," PFF wrote. "It wasn’t his best season, by the numbers, but it was enough to get him a three-year extension. His last four games of the year were the catalyst."

Mayfield posted 4,044 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns and ten interceptions while leading the Buccaneers to a 9-8 record. As PFF alluded to, he finished the season strong. He did so in a way that looked like the Mayfield everyone expected when he was selected No. 1 overall in 2018.

Rolling into a new season with a fresh contract, Mayfield has helped establish a culture in Tampa Bay. He gives the team an identity and he has proven he can post a winning season with the team. With expectations in mind, the Buccaneers now know how to surround Mayfield with the right talent.

"Overall, Mayfield was erratic, with 25 big-time throws and 22 turnover-worthy plays. But over the final four games he earned a top-10 passing grade, including an elite Week 15 performance on the road in Green Bay that propelled the Buccaneers to a strong finish and a playoff berth," PFF continued.

Continuity is important, and Mayfield is heading into his second season with this squad. They're all going to be better because of it, too. The 29-year-old quarterback is going to look even more solid in an improved season, and maybe the disrespect will slow down — not just for Mayfield, but for the Buccaneers' offense as a whole.

READ MORE: Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles Speaks On Tristan Wirfs' Contract Situation

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