The Baker Mayfield experiment has reached a critical stage.
Upon Mayfield’s arrival, he was heralded as possibly the next Geno Smith, whose career resurrected to a Pro Bowl level with the 2022 Seahawks while coached by current Bucs offensive coordinator Dave Canales.
Smith, however, has returned to earth this season and some in Seattle are talking about getting rid of him.
Mayfield has sacrificed his body and given his all for the Bucs, but it hasn’t been enough to make Joe think he’s the team’s future at quarterback.
Yes, Mayfield has been good at times but his performance and production have been very average overall among NFL starters, and he’s been inconsistent. Objectively, Mayfield probably has been a tick better than average considering the Bucs have the worst yards-per-carry average in the NFL, but he also has three quality targets, which many quarterbacks do not have.
Regardless, the Bucs sure look like a team in need of a quarterback upgrade if they want to win another Super Bowl.
At best, Mayfield has five games to show the Bucs he’s a quarterback worth building around. At worst, he will cede his starting job to Kyle Trask when/if the Bucs lose two more games before the season finale.
Mayfield says he likes pressure and he performs his best as an underdog. Well, that’s where he is right now. His Bucs career and likely his career as an NFL starter absolutely are on the line.
If Mayfield is the player he thinks and says he is, then Bucs fans should see a heck of a season finish from Mayfield, who did not play well Sunday against the Panthers.
