It was a major problem in 2025, but the picture looks brighter for 2026.
Here's the breakdown:
What went wrong in 2025: Mayfield played through early shoulder and oblique injuries, and his performance cratered. In his first 10 games he threw 26 TDs vs. 11 INTs with 6.85 YPA. Over the final 8 games (playing through injuries), that plummeted to 9 TDs vs. 8 INTs and 6.5 YPA (from the Baker Mayfield page). He also reportedly dealt with knee, bicep, and AC joint issues. The ripple effect was brutal — it dragged down the entire passing game, especially rookie WR Emeka Egbuka, who went from a blazing first half to zero touchdowns after Week 9.
Why 2026 could be different: Mayfield enters the season healthy for the first time in a while. The Bucs also hired Zac Robinson as OC, whose scheme (heavy 12-personnel, motion-heavy) is a clean reset from the prior Josh Grizzard disaster that ranked 22nd in scoring. Early minicamp reports show Mayfield already clicking with his TEs — a stark reversal from 2025's zero TE touchdowns before Week 15.
The expert take:
On Flock Fantasy, they summed up the split nicely: "Baker Mayfield through the first six weeks looked pretty damn good... If y'all remember in 2024, people were talking about Baker Mayfield MVP level season." —
Bottom line: The injury-riddled 2025 was a real problem that sank the Bucs' offense. But with a clean bill of health, a new OC, and stabilized weapons (Godwin, Egbuka, Cade Otton), Mayfield is a bounce-back candidate. Matthew Berry projects him at QB19 and calls him a solid value pick.