Baker Mayfield had a career year in 2023, throwing for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. But consistency was somewhat of a struggle for the 2018 No. 1 overall pick, and that’s something the Bucs needed more of when they signed him to a three-year, $100 million deal this offseason.
Through five games of the 2024 season, Mayfield is delivering exactly that.
No, he hasn’t been perfect. But a major part of those inconsistency issues last year were the clunkers he littered in throughout the season.
There was a 15-of-25 night in a loss to the Eagles in which he threw for just 146 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He had a 19-of-37 performance in a loss to the Lions that saw him throw for 206 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Plus, there were even 14-of-29 performances in wins over the Panthers and Falcons. He did enough in those games, but he was far from efficient.
Well, so far in 2024, only one of Baker Mayfield’s games can really qualify as a “clunker.” But that one looked much different than a clunker might have from a year ago. In a Week 3 loss to the Broncos, he was sacked six times, but he still completed 25 of his 33 passes (75.8%). And that plays into the main theme for No. 6 so far this season: He has been extremely efficient and impressively accurate.
Mayfield has completed 71.9% of his passes through five games, which ties him for the third-best completion rate in the league entering Week 6. But per Pro Football Focus, the Bucs’ signal-caller has an 81.7% adjusted accuracy rate. That’s the best mark among quarterbacks with at least 50 dropbacks this season, as it narrowly beats out Patrick Mahomes’ 81.1%.
Whether it’s being more secure in his role as the Bucs’ starting quarterback, his comfort in Liam Coen’s system or his established rapport with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Baker Mayfield has taken his accuracy to another level in 2024. And that’s part of the reason he’s on track toward another career-best season in Year 2 with the Bucs.
Baker Mayfield Is On Track For Another Career Year In 2024
Prior to 2023, Baker Mayfield’s best NFL season came in 2020 when he completed 62.8% of his passes for 3,563 yards and 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions while helping the Browns snap their 17-year playoff drought and earn their first playoff win since 1994.
But last year, needing a career revival after being traded by Cleveland and dropped by Carolina in 2022, Mayfield signed with Tampa Bay and put together an impressive body of work. He set career highs for completion percentage (64.3%), passing yards (4,044) and passing touchdowns (28) while helping the Bucs three-peat as NFC South champions and win a playoff game.
He parlayed that career year into a three-year contract worth $100 million, giving him a real home in the NFL for what is essentially the first time. And he’s living up to that deal and more so far. Though the Bucs have a couple of disappointing losses on their 2024 resume right now, Mayfield is off to a phenomenal start. He has a 71.9% completion rate, 1,164 yards and 11 touchdowns to just two interceptions through five games.
Averaging out those numbers and extrapolating them over the remaining 12 games, Mayfield would have Pro Bowl-worthy numbers and a line that would rival what he did with Tampa Bay last year. At this rate, the 29-year-old is on pace for 71.9% completion percentage, 3,958 yards and 37 touchdowns to seven interceptions. That would mean career highs for completion percentage and passing touchdowns, as well as a career low for interceptions.
Of course, if it was up to Baker Mayfield, he’d trade a career high in any category for a career-high number of wins. He won 11 games for the Browns in 2020, and he’s looking to match – or ideally top – that total this year.
Continued accuracy like he’s shown through the first five games (as well as the accompanying numbers) may help him do just that. But getting through the toughest stretch of the schedule, which the Bucs are currently in, is key. Tampa Bay is 1-1 in the first two games of this stretch that continues on Sunday in New Orleans. After that game, the team will see Baltimore at home, Atlanta at home, Kansas City on the road and San Francisco at home.
But there’s no looking ahead. Mayfield and the Bucs will first look to get back on track against the Saints on Sunday in the Superdome. That was the site of one of his best games of 2023, as he threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns (with one interception) on 25-of-32 passing in a win at New Orleans last October.
He’ll look for a repeat type of performance – and result – come Sunday.
