The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken us on quite the wild ride to open up the 2025 season. While dealing with two handfuls worth of injuries this early in the season, the Bucs have opened up strong, going 4-1 and well in control of the NFC South and their own playoff destiny.
It hasn’t been the most conventional path to .800 for the Bucs. They have scrapped and clawed their way to four wins on the season, with all four coming on game-winning drives in the final minutes of regulation.
Much of the Buccaneers’ success can be attributed to the elite level of play from quarterback Baker Mayfield, who is making a strong case for himself as the MVP of the league early on.
Mayfield was spectacular once again on Sunday in Tampa Bay’s 38-35 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, and his performance on the field, as well as his talking before the game, got former Bucs’ QB Tom Brady’s attention in his latest power rankings.
Sep 28, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
“I see you Baker, talkin’ that sh*t. You go man, you play like that, you can always talk that sh*t.”
The Buccaneers and Mayfield have been making noise early in the season, and the performance against the Seahawks has only heightened the attention on these Buccaneers.
Mayfield, who completed nearly 88% of his passes for 379 yards, two touchdowns (no turnovers), and a passer rating of 134.7 against the Seahawks for his best performance of the season, is now the hot new name when it comes to early NFL MVP favorites.
It is well deserved for Mayfield, who is coming off an MVP-caliber season just a year ago, and is even more spectacular considering he has been without star players Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, Chris Godwin, and Bucky Irving due to injury for portions of the season.
What Mayfield is doing without a full supporting cast can’t be glossed over, and neither can his leadership abilities as he led the Bucs on those aforementioned game-winning drives that have helped them get to 4-1.
If Mayfield can continue to play at this level, then there is no reason to think he can’t win the MVP this season, as long as the rest of the season pans out well and the Bucs can make a playoff run.
Mayfield will look to build on his 1,283 passing yards (4th in the NFL) and 10 touchdowns (3rd) as the Bucs welcome the other often-injured team, the San Francisco 49ers, to Tampa Bay on Sunday.
