Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield outlined where the NFC South franchise went wrong following a 5-1 start to the 2025 season that ultimately ended in missing the playoffs
17:11 ET, 17 Feb 2026
Baker Mayfield has been with the Buccaneers for the three seasons, twice leading the franchise to the NFC South title
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Baker Mayfield has been with the Buccaneers for the three seasons, twice leading the franchise to the NFC South title(Image: Getty Images)
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were flying.
Through the first six weeks of the 2025 NFL season, Mayfield emerged as an MVP contender with the Buccaneers at 5-1. He had led fourth-quarter comebacks in each of his first four wins, earning plaudits from around the league as he and the Bucs targeted a third successive NFC South division title.
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Mayfield was playing excellent football and appeared to have cracked the upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL. However, as the season played out, injuries to stars like Mike Evans ultimately hamstrung the Buccaneers, who finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
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The Buccaneers lost eight of their last 10 games to miss the playoffs and appeared a shadow of the team that took the NFL by storm with swashbuckling wins over the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers. Mayfield outlined what his team ultimately lost after that initial spike.
“When you have confidence and momentum, it goes a long way — especially in the type of ball games we were in early in the year,” Mayfield exclusively told Mirror U.S. Sports. “We were just executing well, and so I think forward, the injuries do play a factor.
“Still, it comes down to executing in the critical moments, and we just weren't doing that later in the year. Sometimes, you don't have that momentum or confidence. It's frustrating.
“Any little bad thing toward the end of the year, guys are like, ‘Well, not this again’ instead of being like, ‘Alright, no, we're gonna make it work, doesn't matter, next play’. That comes down to me, being able to instill that confidence and drive the belief into the guys.”
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Baker Mayfield and the Bucs were 5-1 before losing momentum
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Mayfield and the Bucs were 5-1 before losing momentum during the 2025 season(Image: Getty Images)
Aside from injuries, Mayfield believes he has the antidote for the Buccaneers’ struggles in 2025.
The 30-year-old admitted it is up to him to ensure every member of the offense is on the same page, which he cited as the most significant lesson he learned from this past campaign and hopes to apply moving forward.
“I try to do this all the time, but I want to be more aware of understanding that just because some guys know a certain scheme doesn’t mean everybody does. So over-emphasizing what we’re trying to get out of this play is important," he said. “Here’s what we’re doing. Here’s why we’re doing it. Here’s how to set it up. Here’s the payoff.
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“You never want to assume and take for granted that everybody knows why we're doing a certain thing. Over-communication is essential, as is, obviously, just trying to stay healthy — that's the goal.”
Dethroned by the Carolina Panthers, the Buccaneers are no longer the kings of the NFC South. Tampa Bay suffered through tempestuous seas in 2025, but with Mayfield at the helm, the franchise will be a contender to return to the top of the division.
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