The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a massive bet on Baker Mayfield before the season, and nine games in, they are still waiting for that investment to pay off.
After a long, messy contract standoff that played out very publicly, Tampa Bay gave in and handed Mayfield a three-year, $165 million extension. His $55 million annual salary trails only Patrick Mahomes, a hefty price tag for any quarterback and especially one many analysts had slotted outside the top 10 at the position.
The logic was clear enough. The Buccaneers needed a franchise quarterback, and in a weak NFC South, paying to keep one in place looked like the safer move than starting over. With the salary cap climbing, the deal could even start to look reasonable in a year or two.
But right now, the results are ugly.
Mayfield has completed 86 of 142 passes for 922 yards this season, with just three touchdown passes and four interceptions. His QBR sits at 32.4.
A dislocated thumb knocked him out for Weeks 4-6, the first games he has missed in four seasons with the Bucs. He has also fumbled six times and lost three of them.
Tampa Bay is 3-6, and even the team’s two wins with Mayfield under center haven’t offered much comfort. In those games, he has completed a combined seven passes for 64 yards.
That’s not going to cut it.
The latest reminder came Thursday night in a 27-24 loss to the Chicago Bears. Mayfield finished 18 of 32 for 243 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions.
The first pick came while the Buccaneers were driving and trailing 17-3. The second was a crushing 67-yard pick-six by Jaylon Johnson late in the third quarter. Tampa Bay had just fought back to 17-13 and had the ball with a chance to grab the lead, but the interception erased the momentum in an instant.
Since the extension, the Buccaneers have not gotten close to the level of play they paid for. If they want to win the division and make any kind of playoff push, they need far more from Mayfield. They paid him to be an elite quarterback and the reason they win.
In Other News...
Todd Bowles Just Put Tampa Bays Biggest Problem In Focus
The Buccaneers came away from their loss to the Bears with a familiar frustration hanging over the building: a defense that did its part and an offense that failed to make it count. Tampa Bay forced five turnovers and still walked off beaten, a reminder that the margin for error disappears fast when takeaways do not turn into points. Todd Bowles made it clear afterward that the issue is not on the defensive side, where the group continues to give the team chances.
Now the focus shifts to the bye week, where the Buccaneers will have time to sort through an offense that has not matched the standard set by the defense. Baker Mayfield's two interceptions, including one that went the other way for a touchdown, only sharpened the concern, but the bigger picture is broader than one sequence or one player. Tampa Bay has enough on defense to stay in games. The question is whether the offense can finally do its part before the season slips further into a pattern the Bucs cannot afford. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Sends A Clear Message On Emeka Egbuka's Drop-Off
Todd Bowles addressed the dip in Emeka Egbukas production with a fairly direct explanation, pointing first to the injuries that have interrupted the receivers rhythm. Even with the downturn, Egbuka still leads Tampa Bay in receiving, which underscores how much the Buccaneers have leaned on him while trying to find any kind of consistency in the passing game.
The broader issue is bigger than one receiver, though, and Bowles framed it as part of an offense that has struggled to get on track. Tampa Bay sits last in passing yards, so Egbukas slide is tied to a unit that has not been able to sustain much of anything through the air, leaving the Bucs with a clear need to spark production somewhere before the season drifts any further. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Let A Prime Upset Chance Slip Away In Frustrating Loss
For much of Sunday night, the Buccaneers had the kind of game that usually travels well: takeaways on defense, steady production on the ground from Bucky Irving, and enough chances to turn a road upset into something bigger. Zyon McCollum helped fuel that formula with an interception, and Tampa Bay kept putting Chicago in uncomfortable spots while trying to control the game on the road.
But the night kept slipping away in the details. Conservative play-calling, penalties and shaky special teams all chipped at the margin, and Baker Mayfields rough night in the passing game left Tampa Bay unable to cash in on its defensive work. Even with the Bears coughing up five turnovers, the Buccaneers walked off with a 27-24 loss that felt like one they had every chance to own. [Read more 🡒]