After throwing over 3,600 yards last season, Baker Mayfield has continued to be a strong quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he landed low on PFF’s preseason quarterback rankings of every NFL team’s projected starter.
Baker Mayfield Lands Stunningly Low on PFF’s Preseason Quarterback Rankings
For many fans, PFF rankings are the main way to see where their favorite players rank among their peers. For that reason, PFF’s preseason quarterback rankings are sure to catch the attention of many NFL fans.
Where Did PFF Rank Mayfield?
Mayfield was ranked 18th by PFF.
“Mayfield endured a roller-coaster 2025 season, recording 28 big-time throws and 28 turnover-worthy plays,” Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick wrote for PFF. “The latter led the NFL and was a major reason the Buccaneers missed the postseason for the first time since 2019. Things seemed to be going smoothly for Mayfield before Mike Evans suffered a broken collarbone in Week 7.
“Evans returned in Week 15, but from Weeks 7 through 18, Mayfield earned just a 56.2 PFF passing grade while throwing 14 touchdowns against 10 interceptions,” they continued. “His scrambling ability, evidenced by a league-leading 6.9 yards per carry, helped keep the offense afloat. However, Mayfield will have to adjust to his first season in Tampa Bay without Evans as a receiving option.”
It’s a considerable regression from last year, when Mayfield was ranked 13th entering the 2025 season.
The drop in the rankings comes after Mayfield’s worst season as Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback.
His 3,693 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns were both his fewest in a season since becoming Tampa Bay’s starter in 2023. His 90.6 passer rating ranked 18th in the NFL, and PFF graded him as the league’s 27th-best qualified quarterback last season.
Mayfield has thrown 37 interceptions since the start of the 2023 season, trailing only Geno Smith, who has been in the spotlight this offseason, for the most in the NFL over that span.
Is Mayfield’s Low Ranking Justified?
Even with Mayfield’s struggles last season, his low ranking by PFF is still a shock.
Mayfield ranks second in the NFL in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns from 2023 through 2025. He is just one season removed from throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.
PFF ranked Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold, Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff and C.J. Stroud ahead of Mayfield.
Even during his down year in 2025, Mayfield still ranked inside the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He also proved to be one of the league’s most clutch players, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to engineer four game-winning drives in the final minute of the fourth quarter during the first five games of a season. He also ranked fourth in the NFL with 34 first downs or touchdowns in the fourth quarter of one-possession games last season.
Most total 1st downs or TD when trailing by one possession in 2025…
1. Bo Nix – 80
1. Caleb Williams – 80
3. Dak Prescott – 77
3. Matthew Stafford – 77
5. Patrick Mahomes – 76
6. Josh Allen – 67
6. Baker Mayfield – 67
8. Jordan Love – 59
9. Drake Maye – 58
10. Bryce Young – 56— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) March 27, 2026
Much of Mayfield’s struggles stemmed from the multitude of injuries he played through last season. Mayfield’s former teammate, Lavonte David, cited multiple injuries as the reason for Mayfield’s struggles in April.
Before those injuries slowed him down, Mayfield was firmly in the MVP conversation from Week 1 through Week 6. He totaled 1,539 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns and just one interception over that span. Mayfield injured his knee in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions and finished the season with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over his final 11 games.
Will Mayfield Outperform That Ranking?
There’s good reason to believe Mayfield will outperform his No. 18 ranking on PFF’s list.
Mayfield’s track record of success since becoming Tampa Bay’s starter, along with his renewed health entering the season, are both reasons to believe he can bounce back.
Another reason is what’s at stake in 2026.
Mayfield enters the final year of the three-year, $100 million contract he signed after the 2023 season. If Mayfield and the Buccaneers can’t reach an extension before the season begins, he’ll be playing for the chance to land another massive contract next offseason.
It has been reported that Mayfield’s camp is seeking more than $50 million annually in his next deal. Twelve NFL quarterbacks currently make at least $50 million per season.
If Mayfield wants to join that group, he’ll likely have to outperform what PFF’s preseason quarterback rankings have him listed at.
Main Photo Courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck – Imagn Images
