Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is one of the most polarizing players in the NFL; every analyst and fan alike has an opinion on him, and more often than not, they are far off. Just within the last week, ESPN’s Mina Kimes knocked the Bucs’ offense because of Mayfield. On the other hand, Nick Shook of NFL.com named the Buccaneers’ QB as the best in the NFC South division, but one of the worst divisions collectively.
Coming off a 4,500 yard and 41 touchdown season, missing his WR1b for ten games, many would be quick to shout that Mayfield should be placed even higher than the Detroit Lions Jared Goff, however, to Kimes point, you do need to consider Mayfield learning his third offense in as many years with the team. With the Buccaneers returning all 11 starters and drafting Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, the skillset positions are stacked enough to overcome any level of learning curve for Josh Grizzard’s offense.
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Which might not be entirely different from that of former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
Fast forward to an offseason that saw New Orleans Saints quarterback abruptly retire, giving Tyler Shough QB1 honors coming into the season, largely unproven Michael Penix being the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and Bryce Young, who has had a roller coaster of a career in the NFL during his time with the Carolina Panthers, who would have thought that Mayfield, who was on the verge of being labeled a journeyman just a handful of years into his career, would be the shining star to keep the entire NFC South division out of the cellar for its QB pool (that honor belongs to the AFC South).
Although rumors are swirling about the Saints trying to acquire Kirk Cousins from the Falcons, that wouldn’t be enough to move them ahead of the NFC North (Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, and JJ McCarthy) for the sixth spot.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: NFC South quarterbacks earn poor rating from analyst heading into 2025