The third year of the Baker Mayfield era is in the books.
Despite a disappointing end to the 2025 season, Mayfield still finished Top-10 in the league in passing yards (3,693), passing touchdowns (26) and completions (343). He also added a career-high 382 rushing yards on 6.9 yards per carry, converting 27 first downs along the way. Even through injuries, Mayfield did his best to put the team in a position to win.
The quarterback continued to rise among the franchise leaders at the position, standing at seventh in franchise passing yards (12,237), fifth in wins (28) and third in passing touchdowns (95). Not only that, he is an active member in the Tampa Bay community. In 2025, Mayfield was named the Bucs' nominee for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Before the season, the Bucs released a list of the Top 50 Players in Buccaneers History. It took just three seasons for Mayfield to climb to No. 38 on the all-time list, and it would not be surprising to see him much higher by the time his career is over.
With the Buccaneers' 50th season in the rearview, let's revisit the three most memorable performances Baker Mayfield has delivered as a Buccaneer—starting with No. 3.
Honorable Mention. October 5, 2025 | Week 5 2025 TB @ SEA | Buccaneers 38, Seahawks 35
Stat Line: 29/32, 379 yards, 2 TDs, 5 rushes, 15 yards
Okay, I know I said I would start with No. 3, however I had to mention this masterclass. This early-season duel against former top picks in the 2018 NFL Draft was a sight to behold.
Both Baker Mayfield and Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold battled in front of the Seattle faithful in what might go down as the most beautiful uniform combination the league has ever seen. Both teams were celebrating their franchise's 50th season and dressed accordingly. The Hawks wore their royal blue 90s throwbacks, while the Bucs showcased their all-white '76 jerseys, an ode to their first season back in 1976.
The Buccaneers broke out to a 13 point lead early, but after that, the teams combined for nine-straight touchdown-scoring drives. The score stood at 35-35 with just a minute left in the game and Seattle had control. At this point, the quarterbacks had combined for over 700-plus yards through the air and six passing touchdowns. It was Lavonte David who played hero, intercepting a pass with less than a minute left to set up Tampa Bay with a game-winning field goal. The game ended 38-35 in the Krewe's favor, moving them to 4-1.
What made this such a special game for Mayfield was the fact that he never took his foot off the gas. Each drive was as important as the last in order to keep up with the scoring onslaught from the Seahawks. Mayfield kept responding. He completed 29 of his 33 passes for an insane 87.9 completion percentage. Mayfield's 379 passing yards ranked third-highest of his career and second-most in his time with the Buccaneers. He could do no wrong.
Bucs first-year receiver Emeka Egbuka also put on a show. The rookie finished with seven catches for 163 yards and one touchdown. Egbuka stepped up while both Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan were inactive. Mayfield was also able to get Cade Otton, Tez Johnson and Sterling Shepard involved in the passing game, utilizing all weapons en route to a big win on the road.
3. January 15, 2024 | NFC Wild Card Round 2023-2024 Playoffs vs. PHI | Tampa Bay 32, Philadelphia 9
Stat Line: 22/36, 337 yards, 3 TDs, 2 rushes, 16 yards
This is a game no one will forget anytime soon.
The Bucs entered the game winning their third-straight division championship after a 9-0 win in Carolina. However, the team failed to score more than 13 points in their last two games. League-wide experts questioned if the offense would regain the momentum they built in the second half of the season. Mayfield went on to silence all doubts.
The Eagles had no answers for the Bucs' onslaught. Mayfield led the team down the field for an opening-drive field goal. The following offensive drive, David Moore made three defenders miss on his electric 44-yard receiving touchdown. Mayfield's next touchdown came in the third quarter when Trey Palmer turned on the jets for a 56-yard score that extended the lead 25–9. The cherry on top came in the fourth quarter. Mayfield looked to his left, muttered "Be ready, Chris,” and floated a 23-yard pass to Chris Godwin's arms to solidify his second career playoff win.
2. December 29, 2024 | Week 17 2024 vs. CAR | Tampa Bay 48, Carolina 14
Stat Line: 27/32, 359 yards, 5 TDs
After a tough loss to the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, the team knew they needed to bounce back. The Buccaneers could not afford another misstep with the NFC South up for grabs. Mayfield and cast rose to the occasion.
The Bucs' first two touchdowns were scored by Mike Evans, increasing his total to 11 on the season. Mayfield found Jalen McMillan in the end zone twice, extending the rookie's scoring streak to four games. Payne Durham also caught his first touchdown before promptly launching it into the crowd. Evans finished the game with 97 yards, a pivotal performance in his march toward another 1,000-yard milestone. It was the fourth time the Bucs scored 40 or more points that season. Mayfield finished the game with as many touchdowns as incompletions.
Mayfield's five passing touchdowns tied his career-high, the other time being in 2020 when he led Cleveland to a 37-34 victory over the Bengals. In a must-win game for the Bucs, he threw for 359 yards—the fifth-highest total of his career. The Falcons would fall to the Commanders the same night, giving control of the NFC South back to the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay would finish the job the following week.
1. December 17, 2023 | Week 15 2024 @ GB | Tampa Bay 34, Green Bay 20
Stat Line: 22/28, 381 yards, 4 TDs, 158.3 RTG
When you think of some of the most iconic venues in all of professional sports, Lambeau Field stands out. Built in 1957, it has seen the NFL's best to offer. With over 400 regular season games played and 25 playoff matchups hosted, the grounds have seen many memorable moments. However, Mayfield did something no one has ever seen in Green Bay. He became the first visiting quarterback with a perfect passer rating in the Frozen Tundra.
The Buccaneers entered the game following two-straight wins, looking to get back to .500 for the first time since Week Seven. Mayfield was a man on a mission. He did not let an early, first-quarter sack-fumble phase him, responding with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Evans. The Bucs went into halftime up three and then switched into high gear. Mayfield threw three passing touchdowns in the next half, blazing by the Packers in the process.
His 381-yard performance was his highest single-game total as a Buccaneer and second-most of his career. At the time, Mayfield was one of just eight quarterbacks to post a perfect passer rating over the previous five seasons. Most notably, he is the only quarterback to achieve that feat on the road at Lambeau.
