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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Is it time to throw a yellow flag in Baker Mayfield’s direction?
Getting No. 6 to slow down and consider caution is no easy task. His first inclination is to give his body up in an effort to help the Bucs win games.
Tampa Bay fans have seen it time and again on third down — Mayfield leaving a collapsing pocket by dodging an array of quarterback hunters before seeking the sticks.
Predicted success.
Most of the time, he gets to the marker … but there’s a price to pay.
Mayfield played hurt for a good chunk of the 2025 season and it’s not a stretch to suggest Todd Bowles thought about sitting him down for a game or two. Then he looked at his options with Teddy Bridgewater and told Mayfield to soldier on.
Among Mayfield’s many intangibles is an uncanny ability to scramble successfully. He’s never going to be confused with Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen, but Mayfield is remarkably efficient at escaping the pocket and keeping the chains moving.
In the past two seasons, Mayfield has run for 52 first downs. That’s a huge total for a quarterback who has never been considered a blur in the open field. Last year, Jackson had 12 more rushing attempts than Mayfield and finished with 33 less rushing yards.
Many of Mayfield’s scrambles have resulted in first downs instrumental in Buc victories. Tampa Bay fans still marvel at the dazzling 15-yard run Mayfield uncorked against the 49ers on third-and-14 last October, with the Bucs clinging to a one-point lead late in the third quarter.
Two plays later, Mayfield fired a 45-yard TD pass to Tez Johnson and the Bucs went on to a 30-19 triumph.
“I was in disbelief like everyone else,” Bowles said. “It happens every other week or so, when he makes those types of plays and you pray he doesn’t get hurt. He has a knack that you can’t teach or coach.”
But you can try to temper that gift. The Buc coaching staff is looking for that fine balance between discretion and aggressiveness from Mayfield, who just turned 31.
Keeping Mayfield healthy is Job 1 at One Buc Place, but he’s so darned good at this scrambling thing that it’s not an easy call.
When Mayfield arrived in Tampa in 2023, Bowles told him to just be himself and everything would work out fine. For the most part, everything has worked out wonderfully for Mayfield. He’s had two Pro Bowl seasons and has thrown 95 TD passes as a Buccaneer compared to 37 interceptions — that’s an impressive ratio.
Because of Mayfield’s competitive fire, he’s not looking to step out of bounds and avoid contact before the first-down marker. He’ll take on opposing defenders head on if it means he can reach past the sticks.
How critical are Mayfield’s scrambles?
In the Week 1 victory at Atlanta last season, Mayfield was Tampa Bay’s leading rusher with 39 yards. Overall, he rushed for one less first down than Caleb Williams, who ran 77 times, compared to 55 for Mayfield.
Let’s face it, Mayfield’s good at this open-field thing. Those hold-your-breath scrambles demoralize the opposition and lift up teammates. Still, the injury factor cannot be ignored.
Mayfield routinely gives up his body — and that body takes plenty of punishment. The Bucs can try to temper Mayfield’s ski-jumper mentality, but that’s a slippery slope.
After Mayfield ran for 31 yards in the season-ending win against Carolina, Bowles hinted at Tampa Bay’s approach going forward.
“Baker initiated a lot of those hits, so he wanted contact,” Bowles said. “It was his way of getting guys going and getting everything together. That’s how he plays and we have to let him play.”
Mayfield, who ran a 4.8 seconds 40-yard dash at the 2018 combine, picks his spots. He has averaged only three scrambles per game as a Buccaneer and the results are mighty impressive. So the Bucs should think twice before urging Mayfield to tone down his flair as an escape artist.
He’s no Lamborghini, but Mayfield knows how to cross the finish line to extend drives.
Let him ramble on.