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Where Baker Mayfield ranks among NFL quarterbacks has been debated for weeks as his contract standoff with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers remains unresolved.
Mayfield has proven himself to be a franchise QB during his three seasons in Tampa. After his ugly exit from the Cleveland Browns, the Bucs allowed him to get his career back on track, and Mayfield has taken advantage. The team has also benefited, receiving three seasons of a franchise QB on a major discount (2026 will be the fourth).
While Mayfield may be a franchise QB, there are different levels of franchise QBs. There is a top tier, which includes Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson. Then you have another group of 10 or so quarterbacks who are still considered "franchise" QBs, but not on the same level.
A new set of QB rankings, released by Mike Sando of The Athletic, used votes from 50 NFL coaches and executives and shows exactly how the rest of the league views Mayfield.
The panel ranked Mayfield tied with Sam Darnold as the NFL's 14th-best QB.
"The panel this year consisted of eight general managers, five assistant GMs, five former GMs and three other executives, plus nine head coaches, 10 defensive coordinators, five offensive coordinators, two offensive assistants, one defensive assistant and two coaches specializing in analytics/game management. That’s 21 execs and 29 coaches overall."
In the same rankings a year ago, Mayfield was 11th. A disappointing season from the Bucs, as well as a bit of a down year for Mayfield, caused him to drop three spots.
"It’s fitting for Mayfield and Sam Darnold to tie in this ranking as 2018 draft classmates and veteran success stories; Mayfield salvaged his career one year before Darnold salvaged his. This year, Mayfield basically held his ground, slipping just slightly in average vote while falling three spots."
The rankings put Mayfield in Tier 2, which contained the 13 quarterbacks ranked 5-17 overall. The consensus on Mayfield was that he is streaky, capable of having games where he looks like one of the best in the game, but his play can fluctuate between great and incredibly frustrating.
Here are some of the notable quotes about Mayfield from the voters:
“'He probably fluctuates from a 3 to a 2, with some (Tier) 1 games in there,' an exec said. 'A little bit of a reckless play style, a little smaller guy. You saw some wear and tear catch up to him last season. I lean towards a 3.
“This is the discussion they are having in Tampa as they ask, ‘What are we going to pay him?’"
One head coach was more complimentary.
“'I don’t want to be unfair to Brock Purdy, but I feel more threatened by Baker,' a former head coach said. 'I think Baker does more outside of the system. I don’t think he has been as protected in a system like Brock has, and he’s a winner, he’s got that edge to him. So does Brock. Baker is a 2 to me.'
Purdy and Caleb Williams were tied for 11th in the rankings, both also in Tier 2.
Another voter, this time an offensive coordinator, focused on Mayfield's inconsistencies.
“'He is just the streakiest player of all time,' an offensive coordinator said. 'He can play like a 2 and play like a 5. He misses throws, he loses vision, but then he makes some unbelievable plays with his feet. He is one of those guys that frustrates you as a coordinator, but when things around him are pretty good, he can make impressive plays and win some games, too.'
The OC was right about Mayfield's play being all over the place, but is the quarterback to blame for the inconsistencies?
In his first three seasons in Tampa, Mayfield has had three different offensive coordinators. The first two, Dave Canales and Liam Coen, had so much success with Mayfield that they were hired as head coaches after only one season as Bucs' OC.
Last year's OC, Josh Grizzard, was fired after a lone season at the position. Now Mayfield has Zac Robinson as OC, his fourth in four seasons.
That's a lot of change for any quarterback to have to deal with.
As if the turnover at OC wouldn't be enough to cause a QB to be inconsistent, Tampa's offense was decimated by injuries in 2025. Mayfield's top three wide receivers from 2024 (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan) all missed huge portions of last season. The Bucs' top running back, Bucky Irving, also missed seven games. Four of Tampa's five starting offensive linemen each missed at least five games.
Not many quarterbacks could have overcome the loss of so many offensive weapons without their play becoming a bit erratic.
Mayfield is generally thought to be in the 11-15 range as far as QB rankings go. However, he is usually placed closer to the top 10 than 14th.
I think Mayfield's dip in play last season was more of a product of the environment around him than any fault of his own. He will obviously be playing this season with an enormous chip on his shoulder after all the drama and scrutiny his contract situation has caused.
Luckily for Tampa, Mayfield is at his best when he has something to prove. Expect a big year from Mayfield in 2026, possibly good enough that he may find himself inside the top 10 when these rankings are released next year.
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Continue reading...
Mayfield has proven himself to be a franchise QB during his three seasons in Tampa. After his ugly exit from the Cleveland Browns, the Bucs allowed him to get his career back on track, and Mayfield has taken advantage. The team has also benefited, receiving three seasons of a franchise QB on a major discount (2026 will be the fourth).
While Mayfield may be a franchise QB, there are different levels of franchise QBs. There is a top tier, which includes Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson. Then you have another group of 10 or so quarterbacks who are still considered "franchise" QBs, but not on the same level.
A new set of QB rankings, released by Mike Sando of The Athletic, used votes from 50 NFL coaches and executives and shows exactly how the rest of the league views Mayfield.
The panel ranked Mayfield tied with Sam Darnold as the NFL's 14th-best QB.
"The panel this year consisted of eight general managers, five assistant GMs, five former GMs and three other executives, plus nine head coaches, 10 defensive coordinators, five offensive coordinators, two offensive assistants, one defensive assistant and two coaches specializing in analytics/game management. That’s 21 execs and 29 coaches overall."
Mayfield Drops 3 Spots
In the same rankings a year ago, Mayfield was 11th. A disappointing season from the Bucs, as well as a bit of a down year for Mayfield, caused him to drop three spots.
"It’s fitting for Mayfield and Sam Darnold to tie in this ranking as 2018 draft classmates and veteran success stories; Mayfield salvaged his career one year before Darnold salvaged his. This year, Mayfield basically held his ground, slipping just slightly in average vote while falling three spots."
The rankings put Mayfield in Tier 2, which contained the 13 quarterbacks ranked 5-17 overall. The consensus on Mayfield was that he is streaky, capable of having games where he looks like one of the best in the game, but his play can fluctuate between great and incredibly frustrating.
Here are some of the notable quotes about Mayfield from the voters:
“'He probably fluctuates from a 3 to a 2, with some (Tier) 1 games in there,' an exec said. 'A little bit of a reckless play style, a little smaller guy. You saw some wear and tear catch up to him last season. I lean towards a 3.
“This is the discussion they are having in Tampa as they ask, ‘What are we going to pay him?’"
One head coach was more complimentary.
“'I don’t want to be unfair to Brock Purdy, but I feel more threatened by Baker,' a former head coach said. 'I think Baker does more outside of the system. I don’t think he has been as protected in a system like Brock has, and he’s a winner, he’s got that edge to him. So does Brock. Baker is a 2 to me.'
Purdy and Caleb Williams were tied for 11th in the rankings, both also in Tier 2.
Another voter, this time an offensive coordinator, focused on Mayfield's inconsistencies.
“'He is just the streakiest player of all time,' an offensive coordinator said. 'He can play like a 2 and play like a 5. He misses throws, he loses vision, but then he makes some unbelievable plays with his feet. He is one of those guys that frustrates you as a coordinator, but when things around him are pretty good, he can make impressive plays and win some games, too.'
Is Mayfield To Blame For Inconsistencies?
The OC was right about Mayfield's play being all over the place, but is the quarterback to blame for the inconsistencies?
In his first three seasons in Tampa, Mayfield has had three different offensive coordinators. The first two, Dave Canales and Liam Coen, had so much success with Mayfield that they were hired as head coaches after only one season as Bucs' OC.
Last year's OC, Josh Grizzard, was fired after a lone season at the position. Now Mayfield has Zac Robinson as OC, his fourth in four seasons.
That's a lot of change for any quarterback to have to deal with.
As if the turnover at OC wouldn't be enough to cause a QB to be inconsistent, Tampa's offense was decimated by injuries in 2025. Mayfield's top three wide receivers from 2024 (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and Jalen McMillan) all missed huge portions of last season. The Bucs' top running back, Bucky Irving, also missed seven games. Four of Tampa's five starting offensive linemen each missed at least five games.
Not many quarterbacks could have overcome the loss of so many offensive weapons without their play becoming a bit erratic.
Final Thoughts
Mayfield is generally thought to be in the 11-15 range as far as QB rankings go. However, he is usually placed closer to the top 10 than 14th.
I think Mayfield's dip in play last season was more of a product of the environment around him than any fault of his own. He will obviously be playing this season with an enormous chip on his shoulder after all the drama and scrutiny his contract situation has caused.
Luckily for Tampa, Mayfield is at his best when he has something to prove. Expect a big year from Mayfield in 2026, possibly good enough that he may find himself inside the top 10 when these rankings are released next year.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
