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\u2019s preseason quarterback rankings of every NFL team’s projected starter.<\/p>\n
For many fans, PFF rankings are the main way to see where their favorite players rank among their peers. For that reason, PFF\u2019s preseason quarterback rankings are sure to catch the attention of many NFL fans.<\/p>\n
Mayfield was ranked 18th by PFF.<\/p>\n
“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<\/a>. “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.<\/p>\n “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.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a considerable regression from last year, when Mayfield was ranked 13th entering the 2025 season.<\/p>\n The drop in the rankings comes after Mayfield\u2019s worst season as Tampa Bay\u2019s starting quarterback.<\/p>\n His 3,693 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns were both his fewest in a season since becoming Tampa Bay\u2019s starter in 2023. His 90.6 passer rating ranked 18th in the NFL, and PFF graded him as the league\u2019s 27th-best qualified quarterback last season.<\/p>\n Mayfield has thrown 37 interceptions since the start of the 2023 season, trailing only Geno Smith, who has been in the spotlight this offseason<\/a>,\u00a0for the most in the NFL over that span.<\/p>\n Even with Mayfield\u2019s struggles last season, his low ranking by PFF is still a shock.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n PFF ranked Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, Sam Darnold, Jalen Hurts, Jared Goff and C.J. Stroud ahead of Mayfield.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Most total 1st downs or TD when trailing by one possession in 2025\u2026<\/p>\n 1. Bo Nix – 80 — NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) March 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nIs Mayfield\u2019s Low Ranking Justified?<\/h3>\n
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1. Caleb Williams \u2013 80
3. Dak Prescott \u2013 77
3. Matthew Stafford \u2013 77
5. Patrick Mahomes \u2013 76
6. Josh Allen \u2013 67
6. Baker Mayfield \u2013 67
8. Jordan Love \u2013 59
9. Drake Maye \u2013 58
10. Bryce Young – 56<\/p>\n