Position Group: Quarterbacks
Players: Baker Mayfield, Teddy Bridgewater, Connor Bazelak
2025 Evaluation: The Buccaneers run of NFC South titles came to a halt in 2025 as the Panthers emerged atop the division. After a 6-2 start, the Bucs won two of their final nine games, finishing with an 8-9 record in 2025. At the helm, quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 343 of 543 attempts (63.2) for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
To begin the year, Mayfield took the league by storm, galvanizing the Bucs. In Tampa Bay’s, 38-35, win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week Five, Mayfield led his fourth game- winning drive and his fourth fourth-quarter comeback of the season to tie Tampa Bay for the NFL’s best record through Week Five. He completed 29-of-33 passes (87.9%) for 379 and two touchdowns, with zero interceptions, earning a 134.7 passer rating. His completion percentage and his 11.5 passing yards per attempt each led the NFL in Week Five, in addition to Mayfield finishing second in passing yards, fourth in passer rating and fourth in passing first downs (17). Among all Buccaneers’ quarterbacks with 30-plus attempts in a game, Mayfield’s 87.9 completion percentage established a new single-game high, while also being the highest mark recorded by any quarterback this season. No player in league history has ever bettered Mayfield’s completion percentage and yards per attempt in the same game with 30-plus attempts.
Mayfield’s performance on Sunday marked the first regular season occurrence in NFL history in
which a player threw for 375-plus yards and had fewer than five incompletions, with only Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner accomplishing this in a playoff game. Through Week Five, Mayfield was tied for third in touchdown passes (10), fourth in passing yards (1,283), fourth in touchdown-to-interception ratio (10.0) and ninth in passer rating (104.4).
Overall, he rushed 29 times on third downs in 2025, with 21 going for first downs (72.4% success rate). Mayfield rushed for a career-high 382 rushing yards in 2025 and ranked ninth in the NFL in rushing yards among quarterbacks. He led all quarterbacks in yards per rush at 6.9 (minimum of 50 rushes) and led all quarterbacks in first downs per rush (49.1% of his rushes went for a first down). Mayfield ranked second among all quarterbacks in third-down run conversion rate (72.4%, trailing only Justin Herbert). He ranked second among all quarterbacks in yards after contact per rush (3.19, trailing only Josh Allen). Mayfield extended drives with his improvisation skills, eluding defenders to gain critical yardage. His physicality and trademark moxie on the field spurred the offense, creating momentum. Mayfield, the first walk-on to win the Heisman Trophy, showcased his ability to hit throws from any arm angle off-platform and effectiveness when he broke contain.
Mayfield started every game in 2025 but exited the club’s Week 12 contest against the Rams with a left shoulder injury and did not play the second half, standing on the sideline with his arm in a sling. Teddy Bridgewater took over in the third quarter and completed eight of 15 pass attempts for 62 yards. In August, the Bucs signed veteran, Bridgewater, to a one-year contract. A former first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, Bridgewater was most recently on the Detroit Lions’ roster for the last few weeks of the 2024 campaign. Bridgewater played for the Vikings, Lions, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins, appearing in 79 games with 65 starts, with a 33-32 career record as a starter. Connor Bazelak, who spent most of the 2025 season on the inactive list, was activated for the Bucs’ Week Eight Game against the Saints as both Mayfield and Bridgewater were on the injury list with ailments. Bazelak joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent this past May. He finished his collegiate career with two seasons at Bowling Green after previous stops at Missouri and Indiana and earned a starting role at all three schools.
2026 Outlook: Mayfield still has a year left on his three-year contract he signed prior to the 2024 season and will once again guide the club in 2026. Teddy Bridgewater will be a free agent in March and the team will have a decision to make on the backup role.
