A year ago, it looked like quarterback Baker Mayfield was down to his last chance to prove he could play at a high level in the NFL.
He was a year separated from being traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Carolina Panthers, where he struggled, leading to him being released late in the year and finishing the season with the Los Angeles Rams.
He signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he certainly proved himself, which resulted in a Pro Bowl nod for him.
Some had labeled him a bust, but Skip Bayless has seemingly believed in him, and he said on his podcast that he would take Mayfield over Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
“I took a lot of crap for how Baker Mayfield’s a bust. No. He’s busting OUT in Tampa,” Bayless tweeted.
I took a lot of crap for how Baker Mayfield’s a bust. No. He’s busting OUT in Tampa. https://t.co/jP0qPUvkUs
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 18, 2024
Bayless is well-known as a diehard Cowboys fan, and he has expressed his frustration over Prescott’s annual collapses come playoff time.
He also noted how well Mayfield did in the fourth quarter this past season, an aspect of Mayfield’s game that greatly improved compared to the past.
Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Browns, threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns, and he led the Buccaneers to a first-place finish in the NFC South with a 9-8 record.
In the playoffs, he threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns in the Wild Card round and led his team to an upset win over the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
He has already become an inspiring story, and nearing his 29th birthday, he could be a Pro Bowl-level QB for several years to come.
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Shaq Barrett Issues A Warning To The Buccaneers