Baker Mayfield finished his season in Orlando, Florida following another highlight performance at the Pro Bowl, but he wants to bring his teammates to the Super Bowl. To get there, Mayfield realizes they have to stay motivated over the coming months and tweak some things ahead of next season. It will start with adjusting to new offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, but it extends to making plays when it’s win-or-go-home.
Mayfield recently shared how he is grateful for the opportunities he’s had to be in the position he is in and shared his thoughts on star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who is entering free agency this offseason.
Baker Mayfield Is At “Home,” But Wants To Bring Bucs Over The Hump In 2025
For Baker Mayfield, the 2025 Pro Bowl Games marked the second consecutive year he has made the event, a product of his play taking off with the Bucs after signing with the team. To Mayfield, the organization from top to bottom has allowed him to play at his best.
“Everybody around me, the organization as a whole, they have given me every opportunity to succeed,” Mayfield said. “It’s felt like home since I’ve got there.”
Setting personal bests across the board in 2024 and winning the NFC South did not come easy to the veteran quarterback and the rest of the team, though. It meant overcoming plenty of adversity and finishing the year off on a high note. Midseason injuries to wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin did not help matters, nor did a four-game losing streak that left them with their backs against the wall. It was a testament to Mayfield’s leadership through the tough times and the rest of the group stepping up.
“The veteran presence we have in that locker room is so important,” Mayfield said about having the grit to win the division this past season. “When you have the next guy up mentality, guys understand all you have to do is your job. You can’t replace some of those guys that went down. You just do your job, as a coaching staff you adjust the scheme and do that.”
Still, there remains a hump that the whole team needs to get over.
Dating back to Tom Brady’s last season in 2022, the Bucs have been bounced in the Wild Card round, the Divisional round, and the Wild Card again with a 23-20 loss to the Commanders. Much of the team’s talent has experienced two (or all three) of those defeats.
After talking with the team’s other star players, including three others that made the Pro Bowl in Evans, left tackle Tristan Wirfs, and defensive tackle Vita Vea, they know how close they are to going deeper into the postseason.
“We were talking about it,” Mayfield said. “The core group that we have right after the season, we’re really close. We know that there are plays to be had, you have to make them when they count. Two years in a row for us, the group we’ve had, coming this close to being in the NFC Championship or on to the next round. Once you’re right there, you realize there are little things you can work on in the offseason to push to the next level. We have a motivated group.”
Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard shares the same vision as the veteran quarterback.
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