Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is perhaps a great example of the quote "change is as good as a holiday," because Baker has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in football since moving to the NFC South franchise.
After bouncing around from the Carolina Panthers to the Los Angeles Rams after being moved on by the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield is now settled in Tampa, and it shows on the field.
Baker's career resurgence, which has included back-to-back playoff appearances, two division titles, and two Pro Bowl nods, is an interesting storyline heading into 2025.
Can he do it all again? And how does he rate?
Questions solved.
While there are skeptics, CBS Sports ranks Mayfield at No. 11 among all 32 starting quarterbacks.
"It wasn't just the 41 touchdown passes that confirmed him as dangerous in 2024," CBS Sports writes."It was the mettle he brought to a lineup often affected by injuries. His scrappiness is infectious in Tampa."
One could easily say that in his two seasons with the Buccaneers, Mayfield has been around the top 10 to 15 quarterbacks in football.
So his ranking here of 11 feels about right. But no doubt he wants to be higher.
The Buccaneers are again expected to win the NFC South, which will be for a fifth consecutive time, and playoffs are the bare minimum for expectations in 2025.
Both of those "should" be accomplished, and that would mean Mayfield plays at a reasonably high level for a third straight year.
The big question is whether it can be a deep playoff run, which, for most, is the one thing holding them back from being fully bought into what Mayfield is selling on the field.
