The quarterback position is a premium in the NFL.

Whether you like it or not, much of a team’s success in the NFL these days comes down to whether or not your franchise has a good quarterback to lead an offense.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been fortunate in this realm over the past few seasons after lackluster QB play for nearly two decades. They welcomed the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, back in 2020, and then took a gamble on Baker Mayfield following Brady, which has only netted a great return on investment.

Mayfield has been tremendous since becoming a Buc. He’s led Tampa Bay to the playoffs in both seasons as the starter and put up career highs just a season ago.

Mayfield thrives off the haters, using it as momentum to carry a chip on his shoulder. That’s how he’s been for most of his career, and while he still has doubters, Mayfield doesn’t explicitly search for the doubters like he once did, as he explained to the guys at Barstool Sports on PMT.

“There’s still some. I don’t look for it anymore. I had enough 49ers fans yesterday talking sh*t to me.”

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Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) holds off San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images 

Mayfield has grown into the man he was supposed to become. While he still has that fire and moxie about him, Mayfield is no longer the young man who still looks at the world through green lenses.

The tribulations he went through to get to this point in his career, along with the growth of his family, likely affected Mayfield, and all it has done is allow him to play freely and to the highest of his abilities.

When you play any professional sport, you are bound to carry doubters along the way. Mayfield downplayed the question to some extent, but still understands they will always be there.

Mayfield and the Bucs have fallen short of their end goal the past two seasons, but have a chance to rectify that in 2025. Mayfield will have all the weapons in the world at his disposal, and despite another change at offensive coordinator, will be expected to continue his elite level of play.