Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield earned himself a three-year extension with the organization this past offseason after performing admirably on his one-year, prove-it deal in 2023. To begin the 2024 season, Mayfield was one of the top quarterbacks in the league, showing great anticipation, accuracy, and dual-threat ability and was even able to keep his turnovers low for being a guy who likes to sling it.
Mayfield still leads the league in touchdowns with 21 and he also is one of the top quarterbacks in the league in passing yards with just over 2,000 through eight games. However, since his impressive start, Baker has hit a bit of a rough patch, particularly when it comes to turning the ball over as he has thrown seven interceptions over his past three games against the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and New Orleans Saints.
Some of the turnovers haven’t been Baker’s fault, but many of them have, and that must be corrected as the quarterback is the one who sets the tone for the entire team. Some of that has had to do with the situations the Bucs have found them in along with skill guys going in and out of the lineup.
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Despite his recent struggles turning the ball over and leaving points on the board, Baker Mayfield is still being looked at as one of the best quarterbacks in the league this season, and in CBS Sports’ latest quarterback power rankings by Cody Benjamin, Mayfield has slid three spots since the prior week but still finds himself sitting at 7th sandwiched between 49ers’ Brock Purdy and Chargers’ Justin Herbert.
“Jameis Winston, is that you? A year after reviving his career thanks to a fair amount of ball control, Mayfield’s back to gunning it, for better and worse. The Buccaneers live and die by his darts.”
The ranking isn’t surprising because Mayfield has hit a bit of a slump, and actually, it is surprising to still see him in the top 10 after being doubted all offseason long. Baker will look to be more consistent and to knock his turnover rate down as we approach the second half of the season, but he will have to do so without star wide receiver Chris Godwin who was lost for the remainder of the season.
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