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Bucs’ Baker Mayfield Emerges As Early-Season MVP Frontrunner

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has his team tied for the best record in the National Football League at 5-1. After another strong performance in Week 6, Mayfield has positioned himself as an early-season NFL MVP candidate.

Mayfield was 17-of-32 with three touchdown passes in Sunday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers.

He’s now thrown 12 touchdowns to just one interception in 2025. His 1,539 passing yards are fourth in the NFL, and his 70.6 QBR is ninth.

Given his numbers, clutch plays, and the Bucs’ success, it’s hard to think of anyone ahead of Mayfield in the MVP race at the moment. It goes without saying that Mayfield has also asserted himself as a top five NFL QB.

Some people have forgotten that Mayfield was once a No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. A rough start to his career with the lowly Cleveland Browns didn’t deter him. He has displayed excellent career resilience by staying the course and ultimately turning into the elite QB he was always meant to be.

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Mayfield has also illustrated this season that he can overcome a plethora of injuries to his offensive arsenal and still pull off NFL victories against legit competition.

Mayfield’s epic first-down conversion on a 3rd and 14 against against the 49ers on Sunday, in which he scrambled through the thickets of multiple tacklers and willed himself over the marker, is already being shared all over social media as a symbol of Mayfield’s identity as a player.

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There’s no doubt that Mayfield is an absolute warrior on the field, and he deserves a ton of credit for keeping the Tampa Bay franchise relevant in the post-Tom Brady era.

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It’ll be interesting to see if Baker can keep the Bucs rolling now that he and Tampa have somewhat of a target on their backs. The element of surprise is no longer there. Next up for the Buccaneers is a huge matchup with the Detroit Lions on the road on Monday Night Football. Buckle your seatbelts.

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