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Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback Baker Mayfield has been disrespected his entire career.
After being the top overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns. With Mayfield leading the way, the Browns became relevant again, even earning a dramatic playoff win against their arch-rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Despite Mayfield bringing the Browns out of the NFL's cellar, the team threw him out like garbage during their ill-fated pursuit of then-Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Cleveland's acquisition of Watson, possibly the worst trade in NFL history, led to an ugly divorce with Mayfield, which he still hasn't fully gotten over.
After splitting the 2022 season between the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield found a home in Tampa. But, he had to earn it, signing a one-year, "prove-it" deal worth up to $8.5 million, an incredible bargain for any starting QB.
He did "prove it," making his first Pro Bowl after his first season in Tampa. The Bucs rewarded him with a three-year, $100 million contract, still a bargain compared to the top QBs in the league.
Despite stabilizing the quarterback position in Tampa and helping the Bucs remain competitive after Tom Brady retired, Mayfield is still shown disrespect by the national media.
Look no further than Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports and his new tier rankings of every starting QB in the NFL.
DeArdo ranks every starting QB into one of six tiers. Tier 1 (Transcendent Stars) contains the usual suspects (Stafford, Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow). Tier 2 lists 12 "Borderline Stars," followed by four "Promising Prospects" in Tier 3.
Mayfield finds himself in Tier 4, entitled "Volatile Veterans." He is placed in the same group as Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, C.J. Stroud, and Bryce Young.
What gives?
Mayfield has made two Pro Bowls in his three seasons for Tampa. In his only non-Pro Bowl season for the Bucs, 2025, Mayfield still threw for 3,693 yards, 26 TDs vs 11 interceptions, and finished with a solid QBR of 61.3, the second-highest of his career, all while losing his top running back and top three wide receivers from 2024 for a significant chunk of the season.
What's so "volatile" about that?
I'm not suggesting that Mayfield belongs in Tier 1, but there is an argument to be made that he is just as good as, if not better than, some of the QBs in Tier 2.
It's hard to believe guys like Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, Jayden Daniels, Jordan Love, and a couple of others are a full two tiers better than Mayfield.
Mayfield is used to being disrespected and does a great job of using that disrespect as motivation. These tiers will give him another chance to prove somebody wrong.
Hopefully, the Bucs and Mayfield can quickly find some common ground that keeps him in Tampa for the long term. With Mayfield leading the way, the Bucs have a chance to have a very good offense in 2026 and return to the playoffs after a brief, one-year hiatus.
Mayfield has made a habit of making the people who underestimate him look foolish.
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After being the top overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield spent the first four seasons of his career with the Cleveland Browns. With Mayfield leading the way, the Browns became relevant again, even earning a dramatic playoff win against their arch-rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Despite Mayfield bringing the Browns out of the NFL's cellar, the team threw him out like garbage during their ill-fated pursuit of then-Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Cleveland's acquisition of Watson, possibly the worst trade in NFL history, led to an ugly divorce with Mayfield, which he still hasn't fully gotten over.
After splitting the 2022 season between the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield found a home in Tampa. But, he had to earn it, signing a one-year, "prove-it" deal worth up to $8.5 million, an incredible bargain for any starting QB.
He did "prove it," making his first Pro Bowl after his first season in Tampa. The Bucs rewarded him with a three-year, $100 million contract, still a bargain compared to the top QBs in the league.
Despite stabilizing the quarterback position in Tampa and helping the Bucs remain competitive after Tom Brady retired, Mayfield is still shown disrespect by the national media.
Look no further than Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports and his new tier rankings of every starting QB in the NFL.
The Rankings
DeArdo ranks every starting QB into one of six tiers. Tier 1 (Transcendent Stars) contains the usual suspects (Stafford, Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow). Tier 2 lists 12 "Borderline Stars," followed by four "Promising Prospects" in Tier 3.
Mayfield finds himself in Tier 4, entitled "Volatile Veterans." He is placed in the same group as Aaron Rodgers, Daniel Jones, C.J. Stroud, and Bryce Young.
What gives?
Mayfield has made two Pro Bowls in his three seasons for Tampa. In his only non-Pro Bowl season for the Bucs, 2025, Mayfield still threw for 3,693 yards, 26 TDs vs 11 interceptions, and finished with a solid QBR of 61.3, the second-highest of his career, all while losing his top running back and top three wide receivers from 2024 for a significant chunk of the season.
What's so "volatile" about that?
I'm not suggesting that Mayfield belongs in Tier 1, but there is an argument to be made that he is just as good as, if not better than, some of the QBs in Tier 2.
It's hard to believe guys like Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, Jayden Daniels, Jordan Love, and a couple of others are a full two tiers better than Mayfield.
Final Thoughts
Mayfield is used to being disrespected and does a great job of using that disrespect as motivation. These tiers will give him another chance to prove somebody wrong.
Hopefully, the Bucs and Mayfield can quickly find some common ground that keeps him in Tampa for the long term. With Mayfield leading the way, the Bucs have a chance to have a very good offense in 2026 and return to the playoffs after a brief, one-year hiatus.
Mayfield has made a habit of making the people who underestimate him look foolish.
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...
