Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield shows resiliency, maturity in win over Saints

Just a couple of years after it seemed as if Baker Mayfield's time as an NFL franchise quarterback was over, he's showing resiliency that embodies the type of player he's become for the Buccaneers.

On Sunday, Mayfield threw for 325 yards while completing 24-of-36 as the Buccaneers scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. With four touchdown passes, Mayfield led Tampa Bay to a key NFC South divisional game over the New Orleans Saints, 51-27. He had to overcome tossing three interceptions.  

But even as New Orleans was busy picking him off and scoring 20 straight points in the second quarter, Mayfield remained confident. The Buccaneers then shook those mistakes off and Mayfield led his team to a statement win. 

The win moves the Buccaneers to 4-2 and helps to cancel out their recent overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the division standings. Mayfield is looking to get Tampa Bay back into the playoffs after his improbable 2023 season guided the Buccaneers to the NFC South Division title. 

Mayfield made his first Pro Bowl and finished third for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year honor last year, behind Joe Flacco and Damar Hamlin. He surpassed 4,000 yards in a season for the first time and threw 28 touchdown passes to set a single-season career high. To be exact, Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 64.3 percent of his passes during the 2023 season. 

However, few predicted Mayfield's recent success. The former first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft had to experience a bitter divorce with the Cleveland Browns and then a failed experimental period with the Carolina Panthers before he could revitalize his career. The 2023 Pro Bowler replaced an injured Matthew Stafford with the Rams late in the 2022 season, pivoting that into an opportunity with a Tampa Bay franchise rebuilding following the retirement of Tom Brady. 

The Buccaneers took a flyer on Mayfield and their gamble has paid off and then some. Mayfield's individual play has also literally paid off to the tune of a three-year contract. 

In May, Mayfield decided to stay in Tampa Bay and enjoy the stability he had been missing by signing a deal worth up to $115 million with $30 million guaranteed.

While Mayfield has playmakers like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin around him, it appears he's finally found the perfect system for his skill set.