Baker Mayfield has his Tampa Bay Buccaneers at an impressive 4-1 following a shootout 38-35 victory at the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, and he’ll look to put another feather in his cap when he and his teammates host the 4-1 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Mayfield has continued to get better and better in his third season in Tampa, and one former player recently made a bold prediction about him heading into Sunday’s matchup.
During a Thursday episode of The Arena: Gridiron, former star cornerback Aqib Talib voiced his support for Mayfield and said he believes he’ll have a big performance on Sunday.
“I feel pressured to ride with Baker. He will dominate the Niners.”
“I feel pressured to ride with Baker … Baker been balling. He will dominate the Niners.”@AqibTalib21 finally picks Baker Mayfield to win this weekend as @NoChillGilZero trolls the 49ers🍿 pic.twitter.com/oczEExYcFz
— The Arena: Gridiron (@ArenaGridiron) October 9, 2025
Mayfield has ten touchdowns and just one interception so far and has led his offense to at least 20 points in every game so far, which has included a number of clutch late-game drives to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
His continued development on the heels of a career year in 2024 has been one of the league’s most enjoyable subplots, as he has found ways to get better following his 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns last year.
This could be a potential playoff preview, though it’s looking like the Niners still won’t have Brock Purdy available for the battle.
Mac Jones is 3-0 in Purdy’s place and has thrown six touchdowns to just one interception, so this certainly won’t be a cakewalk just because the Niners are without their starting quarterback.
If Mayfield keeps playing like this, he’ll push his way into the MVP conversation, and you’ll hear a lot more analysts backing him as firmly as Talib did today.
NEXT: Former Cowboys Coach Raves About Baker Mayfield