Baker Mayfield is not interested in the offseason narratives about the Buccaneers. He made that clear this week with one of the more pointed quotes of his career, delivered with the kind of edge that has defined him since his Oklahoma days.
Asked about lingering concerns over the Bucs’ roster heading into 2026, Mayfield offered a sharp response. He said the doubters can keep doubting, and the team will keep winning anyway. Classic Baker.
The concerns are real, even if Mayfield does not want to hear them. Vita Vea is missing practices over a contract dispute. The receiver room lost depth in free agency. The defensive backfield has been hit by injuries. The NFC South looks more competitive than it has in years.
Mayfield is undeterred. He has won the division three years running. He has the most quietly successful four-year stretch of his career happening right now in Tampa. Last season he threw for over 4,200 yards with 32 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. Those are MVP-level numbers in a 32-game sample over two seasons.
What makes Mayfield’s response interesting is who he is talking to. National analysts have spent the last two months casting doubt on Tampa’s ceiling. They love the Falcons. They love the new-look Saints. They have moved off the Bucs as a real contender.
Mayfield has been here before. He was the No. 1 overall pick. He led Cleveland to its first playoff win in nearly two decades. He was discarded by the Browns, the Panthers, and the Rams before landing in Tampa. He has been doubted at every stop.
The chip on his shoulder is the entire identity. It is also the reason his teammates respond to him. Mayfield’s confidence rubs off on the locker room in a way that even his harshest critics admit.
The Buccaneers are also better than national media gives them credit for. Their offensive line is one of the best in the league. Mike Evans is still elite. Bucky Irving is a top-15 back. Their defensive front, even without Vea at full strength, has playmakers.
The schedule actually favors Tampa as well. The NFC South games will be tough, but the cross-conference matchups against the AFC West are favorable. Tampa has a real chance to lock up a top-three NFC seed if Mayfield can stay on his current trajectory.
What Mayfield said this week is not just bravado. It is a quarterback who has reached the point of his career where he knows what he is. He does not need anyone’s approval. He is going to lead this team into another playoff run and dare the rest of the NFC to keep him out.
The doubters will probably be quiet by November. They usually are when Baker Mayfield is involved.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
