Just give the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award to Baker Mayfield. Right now.
With apologies to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin for his extraordinary return after suffering cardiac arrest on the football field.
With apologies to Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and his amazing run as the Browns’ fourth quarterback of the season.
Baker Mayfield, playing for his fourth team in three seasons, has outdone them all. Not only has he led the Buccaneers to the NFC South title and a playoff berth, but he also propelled them into the divisional round as one of the top four teams in the NFC.
And Mayfield orchestrated this run to the divisional playoffs one season after Tampa Bay fell short of that mark with Tom Brady at quarterback playing his final season.
Baker Mayfield’s offensive masterpiece Monday night helped the Bucs eliminate the freefalling Philadelphia Eagles, 32-9, and send them into a matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
He threw for 337 yards and three TD passes — the fourth quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in a playoff for two franchises — and led Tampa Bay to its sixth victory over the past seven weeks. Over that timeframe, Mayfield has thrown 14 touchdown passes and only three interceptions.
Related: NFL QB rankings
Bucs are even better with Baker Mayfield
It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner, who requested a trade from his original team, the Cleveland Browns, in the 2022 offseason after they traded for Deshaun Watson and signed him to a lucrative contract extension.
Mayfield was dealt to Carolina, where he won the starting job but then got hurt and lost the job to P.J. Walker, prompting him to request a trade. He finished the season making five starts for the Rams, and then signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay in March.
The Bucs started the season going 4-7 before Mayfield rallied them to where they are now. Along the way, Mayfield played so well that he activated several contract incentives that rewarded him for finishing among the top quarterback in several key statistical categories.
There were questions about how Tampa Bay might fare in the post-Brady era. But Mayfield has helped answer that question: The Bucs are even better.