Quarterback Tiers: Baker Mayfield “Fine”

June 7th, 2024

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.

It seems one national NFL analyst has no real issue with Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.

While reading many stories about the Bucs that sometimes include Mayfield, Joe can see how the stenographer gets bitter beer face when typing about Mayfield.

It’s like, “Eeeewwww, him!”

There is a lot of Mayfield hate out there. Hell, there is a cultist-like sect of Bucs fans that scream for him to be benched for a dude who played for their favorite college which they never attended.

So it’s not like the anti-Mayfield vibe is exclusive to Cleveland or Charlotte.

Ben Solak of The Ringer decided to rank quarterbacks based on tiers. The first quarterback is in the tier that bears his name, Pat Mahomes.

But down in the sixth tier, Mayfield is listed there as in the “Fine” tier, meaning Mayfield is OK. Could be better. Could be worse. Could be raining.

Mayfield is ranked in the same tier as Derek Carr, Brock Purdy, Justin Fields, Tua and Daniel Jones. Joe thinks Solak is being overly generous about Fields, who was so good with the Bears he was basically picked up at the NFL’s Goodwill store by Mike Tomlin.

So Joe is guessing that Solak thinks if the 49ers can do well in the playoffs with Purdy, so should the Bucs with Mayfield.

77 Responses to “Quarterback Tiers: Baker Mayfield “Fine””

  1. Beeej Says:

    I don’t think Hurts is a very good QB, when his running ability falters, he’ll become a bench warner

  2. Jack Mullins Says:

    Stop it, Joe. Doesn’t matter what others SAY. What matters is what Mayfield DID. He was .500 after 16 games. He “won” the 17th game because our kicker made 3 field goals. He was .500 in the playoffs only because we got to beat a weak Eagles team in the first round, then he choked the second game with the ball in his hands and the game on the line. Just stop it.

  3. Bucben61 Says:

    Jack Mullins get a grip dude

  4. Jay Molina Says:

    So basically, Baker is in the bottom half of the league.

  5. Bucben61 Says:

    What a misleading headline…he has Baker rated near the bottom of the league and last time I checked he played for the bucs last year not Charlotte

  6. Smashsquatch Says:

    If I were Bake, that pic would be taped to the inside of my locker

  7. Weebs10 Says:

    They left him in a panthers jersey. Very lazy/disrespectful

  8. Ugo Says:

    Jack, your bias is showing.

    Baker took a projected 5 win team to a division win and a playoff victory where he demolished philly. The Lions game you claim he choked was literally one play or two from being a win.

    How about you just stop, Baker is a solid qb with some upside and is well worth his current salary. Let me guess, you want to have Trask start? The guy whose first pass was an end-zone interception that was saved only by a penalty from the Colts.

  9. realistic-optimistic Says:

    I feel bad for Purdy. Why is he clumped with Jones, Carr, Fields, and Mayfield? He should be higher than all of them and higher than some listed above him, like Geno, Kyler, Stafford, Love …

  10. Dave Pear Says:

    There are a few of us who went to UF (me, from 1976-1981) who see that Kyle is Trashk in the NFL. Saw it while he was QB at UF. The Gators have never produced an NFL franchise QB. Never. When Rex Grossman is the best you can name, that’s pretty pathetic. Maybe John Reaves? LOL!

    Trashk reads the field at the speed of smell, stares down his primary for minutes, and has the pocket presence of Glennon if Glennon was concussed.

    Coen will take one look at Trashk when real football starts and make Wolford the backup. Kyle will be back where he’s comfy, in street clothes, securely holding the clipboard.

  11. Steven007 Says:

    When exactly has Trevor Lawrence been great? If he were a second round pick instead of number one overall he would be in the fine category. Garbage like this is still flavored by draft position. Not a Purdy fan, but he has outplayed. Trevor by a margin.

  12. Ol' Boy Says:

    “Joe thinks Solak is being overly generous about Fields who was so good with the Bears he was basically picked up at the NFL’s Goodwill store by Mike Tomlin.”

    Yeah. Like the Bucs did with Baker…

  13. Joe Says:

    How about you just stop, Baker is a solid qb with some upside and is well worth his current salary. Let me guess, you want to have Trask start? The guy whose first pass was an end-zone interception that was saved only by a penalty from the Colts.

    Not sure who you’ve been reading but it hasn’t been Joe. Hell, Joe’s been defending Baker Mayfield since the end of last season. Damn near daily.

  14. stpetebucfan Says:

    I do not get why the guys like unrealistic-pessimistic and Jack always point out Baker’s failure without EVER FREAKING mentioning the amazing comeback against a league darling Houston team in their crib. That was Baker’s WINNING comeback that was literally CHOKED away by the D.

    These two guys NEVER mention that. How about the record pounding Baker put on the Packers in their own historic LAMBEAU field, a Pack team btw that would then go on to beat “America’s team” in the playoffs in the Cowboys own crib!!!

    Do these biased idjits have tunnel vision or do they just sleep through some games?

  15. infomeplease Says:

    If BM6 can keep the turnovers down again, the OL and run game improves, and the Defense can find ways to get off the field on 3rd and 4th downs consistently, then the Bucs will be looking very good. Time will tell! 😎!!!!!

  16. Defense Rules Says:

    Solak is right in that Baker will be ‘fine’ … with a strong TEAM to support him. Oh BTW Benjamin, you could’ve said the same thing about virtually every other NFL QB.

    And Joe you’ve gotta stop with this ‘Baker Mayfield is Rodney Dangerfield Reincarnated’ relentless barrage. We were 9-8 last season & made it to the 2nd tier of the playoffs. Better than average; not great, not terrible. Baker got us there, with a LOT of help from his friends. That kinda places him (and us) in the upper middle tier of NFL teams. Baker will have to play better this year for us to do better, and I for one fully expect that he will.

  17. Gipper Says:

    Telling all that Mayfield is going to have a great season. Great means he is in the top 6 of all NFL QB’s and the team wins 4th straight division championship. Baker stepped into a situation following Brady with no running game and poor pass protection and got the team within striking distance to the NFC Championship. Oh yeah, and he did it with a coach who has been unfairly tarnished by many on this blog.

  18. SlyPirate Says:

    That “Great” tier is a little suspect.

  19. ATLBUC Says:

    I wonder if Bowles is going to force Coen to start Mayfield like he did with Canales

  20. Dave Pear Says:

    ATL – if you really believe that tripe, then you should be screaming for Bowels to be fired. A head coach’s job is to put the best players on the field to five the team the best chance to win. You really think Canales wanted Trashk and Todd overruled him? Then you should want Todd fired.

    Stop with the conspiracy nonsense, especially when you have no evidence at all. No, two JBF posts from August that said “Trashk looked a little better” than Mayfield in two practices is not evidence.

    Stop being a complete maroon.

  21. drdneast Says:

    Joe, you stated succinctly what I have been saying about Trask fans since he got here. Well done, sir!
    I would be okay with the tier Mayfield is in except for Fields and Jones being in it. Jones had one good season, his contract year. After he got his big deal he went right back to flat lining his performance.
    Let’s see what Mayfield can do this season with an improved offensive line (hopefully) and a real experienced offensive coordinator who isn’t in his first year of play calling. After this season we will have a better understanding of Mayfield’s abilities.

  22. heyjude Says:

    Unsure about the ‘great’ tier. Baker should be moved up to the ‘good’ tier. Move Cousins down to the ‘fine’ tier instead. Move Stafford to the ‘I’m worried’ tier. Got the biggest laugh about the ‘idk what to do with him’ tier – Aaron Rodgers. So true!

  23. Shane Callahan Says:

    Baker resurrects Cleveland from hell. He overcomes the worst rushing attack in the NFL and lowest ranked IOL in the NFL and wins y’all a playoff game, and y’all are still crapping on him. Even if he wins y’all a Super Bowl, y’all will still crap on him. Some of y’all make me sick.

  24. Jack Mullins Says:

    Dave Pear Says: “‘Kyle is Trashk in the NFL. Saw it while he was QB at UF.”

    Totally inaccurate. Trask broke every UF season passing record and many SEC season passing records, and he did so in a shortened 2020 10-game season due to COVID. Also, he was a 2020 Heisman Finalist, one of only four in the entire country. These are facts even I – a U Miami grad – know. So, either you were not at UF (100%), or you were at UF and never saw or followed UF football (0%). Take your pick.

    Dave Pear Says: “The Gators have never produced an NFL franchise QB.”

    Neither did Iowa State before Brock Purdy.
    Neither did Wyoming before Josh Allen.
    Neither did Miami Ohio before Ben Roethlisberger.
    Neither did Southern Miss before Brett Favre.
    Neither did Morehead State before Phil Simms.
    Neither did Northern Iowa before Kurt Warner.
    Neither did Louisiana Tech before Terry Bradhsaw.
    Neither did Eastern Illinois before Tony Romo.

    Let me know if you need more. /s

  25. Booger Says:

    I would like to see Ol’ Bake in either NE or Carolina just to see what all he could do and watch him shine. It would be a one man SHOW!!!! League MVP. If Bake & Canales had been together in Carolina last season, then everyone would be talkin’ about CAROLINA repeating as Division Champions for this upcoming season. Man, he can do it ALL.

  26. Dave Pear Says:

    There are more. Aker fans than haters I think.

  27. Dave Pear Says:

    Meant Baker fans.

    Osqueeltard and ATLsuc notwithstanding

  28. Defense Rules Says:

    Dave Pear … ‘Stop being a complete maroon.’

    Seriously? A complete MAROON? The Jamaicans would take exception to that.

  29. Shane Callahan Says:

    If Trask was better than Baker, he would be the starter. Get over it! I wish Trask the very best. Again, all we know is that he’s obviously not better than Brady or Mayfield. Those guys are studs. Period.

  30. Shane Callahan Says:

    Brady is the NFL GOAT. SI concluded that Mayfield is the greatest college QB since 2000. The problem with being the #1 pick in the NFL draft is that you go to the absolute worst team in the NFL which is why so many of them become “busts.”

    Trask fans: If you truly are a Bucs fan, let it go. Just let it go. Hope that he gets his chance and stop hating on the greatest college QB since 2000 that got stuck with the Browns, Panthers, and a cash-strapped Bucs with a novice playcaller during his first year with y’all.

  31. Idroolpewter&red Says:

    Why in the hell is the hair god from Jacksonville listed amongst the guys in the “great” tier?

  32. NJBucs Says:

    More lazy reporting. Get the right jerseys on the guys. This guy has no credibility just for that.

  33. Bucben61 Says:

    If my memory is correct didn’t Mayfield literally have only 1 incompletion last preseason….yet the delusional traskateers think he outplayed Baker…nothing but uneducated trolls

  34. Oneilbuc Says:

    Buc61 . Trask did out play Baker just go back in look at the training camp last season. If Pete Carlro was our Coach last year Kyle Trask would have been the starter. But Baker was gifted the staring job so he’s our quarterback and we have to hope he plays well. But I’m not going to do like the rest of y’all and blame everyone on the team but Baker Mayfield. When Baker threw that pick against the lions that was his fault and it was a bad pass and bad decision. It’s ok to criticize the team or players when they play bad and still be a bucs fan.

  35. Bucben61 Says:

    I was here for training camp last year onelilbuc… apparently you weren’t…first off to say Trask outplayed Baker in scrimmages is pure fanciful speculation…What we did see was preseason games and Baker was pretty much lights out. We were supposed to win 5 games with him last year we won 10…haters make no sense

  36. ModHairKen Says:

    “There is a lot of Mayfield hate out there. Hell, there is a cultist-like sect of Bucs fans that scream for him to be benched for a dude who played for their favorite college which they never attended.“

    I just spit out my drink and injured my larynx laughing at this. Joe, that was epic!!!

  37. Dave Pear Says:

    Jack Mullins – and we all know how statistical success in college translates to success in the NFL. (Eyeroll)

    The list of busts who played great in college is so long you’d need a voluminous binder to write them all down. Trashk was throwing to future NFL players mostly against dishwashers and waitresses. They were quite often 20 yards open.

    There’s a huge reason he hasn’t seen the field as a Buc. He isn’t NFL material.

  38. Dave Pear Says:

    Osqueel tard back with the “Trashk outplayed Mayfield” nonsense.

    1. Two JBF articles from last August referencing two practices is so not conclusive it’s ludicrous (means, stupid).

    2. Is there some other solid evidence of this? Anyone?

    3. If the tards were to be correct, then Todd wouldn’t have a job because he would be intentionally sabatoging his own team by playing the inferior player.

    Ron White – “Ya cant fix stupid, folks.”

  39. Dude Says:

    Can you really blame people for not getting fully/blindly behind a mid-tier QB?

  40. RustyRhinos Says:

    Really? A team photo of 2022 Baker in a Panthers uniform?? Does Solak have any other skills or literacy in how to find fresh, new Team images of players he is ranking??? Or is he like everyone else with a “following” throwing shat up on the wall for his ” followers” to drool over???

    We will see, just like he shall see, who is doing better when the season kicks off…

    Go!!! Baker!!!
    GO!!!!!BUCS!!!!!

  41. Jack Mullins Says:

    Dave Pear Says: “There’s a huge reason he hasn’t seen the field as a Buc. He isn’t NFL material.”

    Wow, Dave, you need to take off your FSU blinders and stop posting stupid comments. Everyone knows Trask hasn’t played because Brady was our quarterback during Trask’s first two seasons (you didn’t know that?), and for Trask’s third season Bowles gifted Mayfield the starting job (promised when Mayfield signed) despite Trask actually outplaying Mayfield in training camp as per Joe himself (who is no fan of Trask). Joe’s post-training camp articles saying that are in the JBF archives. You don’t seem very astute, so if you need help I can find them for you. Let me know!

  42. Jack Mullins Says:

    Dave Pear Says: “Two JBF articles from last August referencing two practices.”

    There you go again, lying. The two articles did not reference “two practices” or any “practice” for that matter. Rather, they were written after training camp had ended and referenced “training camp” as a whole, saying Trask outplayed/outperformed Mayfield in “training camp”. Joe then explained that Trask’s out-performance of Mayfield in “training camp” was not enough for Bowles, worse job was on the line, to not go with the experienced veteran.

  43. Dave Pear Says:

    Idiots.

    Proof is in the pudding. If you think the conspiracy is correct then demand the head coach be fired. Simple.

    If Trashk outplayed Mayfield he’d be starting. He didn’t. He isn’t.

    Facts.

    JBF in the end is a fan. Not a coach. What coach said Trashk was better?

    Idiots.

  44. kaimaru Says:

    Jack Mullins. I read every thing Joes said. He only could attend and see a few training days. The rest were closed off to media after the warm up period. He did not see every practice. He did say some days Baker was better and some days Trask was better. The hype that Joes said about how much better Trask was from OTAs may have been overhype. We don’t know the body of the work in complete. We DO know Joes said Mayfield struggled at first and was better near the end of TC where Joe even questioned if Mayfield may be pulling away from Trask. That’s the truth. Yes, Joes speculated Trask would have to be clearly better than Baker. Maybe he was. De certainly was in the pre-season games

  45. infomeplease Says:

    Dave Pear sums it up!!!! “If Trashk outplayed Mayfield he’d be starting. He didn’t. He isn’t.”

    I couldn’t have said it more precise!
    Only fools believe KT is the rightful starter!!!!

  46. Oneilbuc Says:

    We all know it’s about saling tickets as well but at the end of the day we are stuck with Baker so we have to hope he plays good. But at the same time I’m not making no excuses for Baker when he plays bad I’m going to say he played bad . When he plays good I will say he played good. But all of this blaming everyone else when he throws picks or when plays bad has got to stop. Their is no more excuses it’s NFC Championship or bust !! And just to be honest ain’t no team losing sleep because Baker is our quarterback. Ain’t no DC is afraid of Baker Mayfield in fact that’s going to be teams game plan is to stop the run and make Baker throw the bucs in to victory because they believe that gives them a better chance to win . And let me say this a 9-8 record is not going to consider a good season if they don’t get to the NFC Championship. This team is 17-17 that’s not nothing to be bragging about!!

  47. Daniel Hammond Says:

    Last year was a proven deal for Mayfield for the Buccaneers and me but this year is a bigger proven deal for me I just am not totally sold on him but I think you could be great

  48. BakerFan Says:

    Oneilbuc Says:
    June 7th, 2024 at 5:13 pm

    Trask did out play Baker just go back in look at the training camp last season.

    …..
    For God’s sale Oneilbuc, give it a rest. Nobody thinks that besides you and a few more idiots on this site. You realize how stupid you guys sound. You sound like Uncle Rico on Napoleon Dynamite lamenting the days that Trask had one good practice.

  49. Shane Callahan Says:

    I’ve coached multiple sports for more than 30 years at the amateur level. I nor anyone I’ve ever coached with started someone we thought who was inferior. I can’t imagine that would change if I was a professional and my job and millions of dollars were on the line. 🤣

  50. D Cone Says:

    Let me know if you need more. /

    Neither did Ohio State before CJ Stroud
    Neither did Oklahoma before Jalen Hurts

  51. PLawson Says:

    A lot of strange comments here. I recently replayed a number of last year’s games. What I hadn’t remembered was how good Mayfield was, consistently good. Sometimes great, making perfect 35 yard passes that very few QBs can make, escaping sacks, improvising on the run for big gains, and just making smart plays, all while having to deal with lousy field position and a non-existent running game. Yet some Bucs fans are still not satisfied. Very strange indeed.

  52. Pickgrin Says:

    How is Jordan Love “Great” – after 1 year – and Mayfield is 3 tiers below?

    Their stats are pretty close:

    Jordan Love 2023 – 4159 Yards – 64.2 comp % – 32 TDs – 11 Ints

    Baker Mayfield 2023 – 4044 Yards – 64.3 comp % – 28 TDs – 10 Ints

  53. Not Says:

    “A dude who played for their favorite college which they never attended.“
    LOL
    Some crazy stuff !

  54. garro Says:

    Please stop with the new and improved stat BS.

    If you guys insist on “ranking” everything and quantified this and quantified that please stop inventing crap terms like “tiers”! Most of us have had at least a high school education and if you assign a letter grade or a number to it we can indeed figure it out! Don’t need all the extraneous BS to quantify your mystic stats. Tier my ass!

    Try watching the games!

    Go Bucs!

  55. Bucblind Says:

    It is Joes opinion, the head coach’s opinion is the only one that matters in this case. Hes the one that can get fired for not winning games. It’s his opinion that the Glazers listen to. Baker is good enough to take the team all the way. Anything else is just Trask wishing. Give it up it’s not going to happen. Baker IS going to play better this year and will solidify his position as Tampa Bays qb now and for the future. If Kyle Trask wants to start he better ask to be traded.

  56. Oneilbuc Says:

    Look all you Baker fans will never hold him accountable for nothing and I get it. Baker fan . You are not a bucs fan you are only here because of Baker Mayfield so you’re comments really doesn’t matter. You will be gone as soon as Baker leaves just like all the Brady fan boys did. So I get it if Baker throws 4 picks none of them will be his fault to you. It will always be the team fault on why he played bad to you. So it ain’t no need to respond to people like you Baker fan boys!!

  57. Bucblind Says:

    PLawson, you are exactly right. It is strange that people can watch Baker work his magic against the odds and come away and complain about it. It has to be they just don’t understand football. Has to be that or they are Kyle Trask fans. It’s just like they say he can’t throw the long ball. I guess they don’t know all those long throws qbs make are in the books and Baker has made more long ball completions than most. So practically everything they say that is negative about our boy is just hogwash.

  58. Oneilbuc Says:

    Apopka. They don’t care about facts on here all they care about if the players are popular with the national meadi. They don’t understand that Baker was a business decision not a football decision. Baker has way more fans than Kyle Trask. Baker has fans from Oklahoma, Cleveland and Texas because he’s from Texas. That was a business decision that’s why they did the fake competition to sale Baker to the fan base. They thought just like I thought that Baker would out play Kyle Trask because of his experience. But unfortunately it didn’t happen that way. That’s why right now you can’t get no one in the front office or the coaches to say that Baker was just better than Kyle Trask and that’s why he’s the starter.

  59. Bucblind Says:

    Ok Onei you said it, we are not worth responding to. Please remember that.

  60. Oneilbuc Says:

    Bucblind. You are a Baker fan I don’t know if you are a bucs fan are not but to you Baker is elite lol 😂😂.

  61. Jack Mullins Says:

    D Cone Says:

    “Neither did Ohio State before CJ Stroud
    Neither did Oklahoma before Jalen Hurts”

    Good catch!

  62. Jack Mullins Says:

    Oneilbuc Says: “They thought just like I thought that Baker would out play Kyle Trask because of his experience. But unfortunately it didn’t happen that way. That’s why right now you can’t get no one in the front office or the coaches to say that Baker was just better than Kyle Trask.”

    Good take!

  63. Dude Says:

    “It is strange that people can watch Baker work his magic against the odds and come away and complain about it.”

    5 games under 200 yards passing isn’t “magic” that’s back up behavior, the magic is we went 3-2 in those games because our defense is still top 10 in the league holding teams to as little points as possible, with an anemic offense for the last 2 seasons. It’s not like we were running the rock effectively either.

    Weeks 1, 3, 12, 14, and 18 make up those 5 games so it’s not like he got “better” down the stretch. Fact is for every 1 good/great game Mayfield has, he’ll give you 1 or 2 stinks

  64. Bucblind Says:

    They would rather have Trask qb and win 4 games than Baker qb and go 2 deep in the playoffs and be oh so close to going to the NFC championship. Mr. Clutch will get the Bucs there with his 106.3 playoff passer rating.

  65. Bucblind Says:

    Actually Dude Baker threw for a whole 12.7 yards less a game than Mahomes. Plus his average was .4 yards more than Mahomes. Sorry, just the facts.

  66. Bucblind Says:

    Hold on onei, I thought us Baker scum wasn’t worth responding to? Apparently we are, just another false statement to prove the point, again.

  67. Bucblind Says:

    Hold on onei, I thought us Baker folk wasn’t worth responding to? Apparently we are, just another false statement to prove the point, again.

  68. Bucblind Says:

    It’s funny how in superbowl LIV in 2020 Mahomes had a passer rating of 78.1 and Baker plays lights out football that time of year with a 106.3 but not one of you haters can admit Baker is good enough to take a team to the superbowl. That’s all we need to know. You people have a hard aversion for the facts. 78.1 vs 106.3. Mmmm, ol’ Bake balls out late in the year when the big money is on the line.

  69. Oneilbuc Says:

    Bucblind. You are really blind to try and compare Baker to Mahomes who actually won the Superbowl 2 years in a row. Lol 🤣🤣 Man I mean you can’t make this stuff up . But this will probably be Baker’s last year as the starter for the bucs or maybe next year by week 8 because this is probably Bowles last year with the bucs. The new HC is going to want his own quarterback so the bucs might go quarterback in the first round in the 2025 draft class. And when that happens all the Baker fan boys will be gone just like the Brady fans left!!

  70. Bucblind Says:

    There is a reason he was in the running for the Heisman 3 years in a row while at Oklahoma, 3 years. He is money Bowles knows it and the Glazers know it and that’s all that matters.

  71. Bucblind Says:

    Onei if you only knew how ridiculous your statements are. Facts are facts my man. It is a fact Baker out played Mahomes last year in most of the stats they keep and the ones he didnt they were very close to each other. Only you could deny the facts. I thought we weren’t responding to…

  72. Bucblind Says:

    Lol you sure don’t like the stats when they go against what you wish for do you? Lol. You know what they say about wishing. Lol

  73. Dave Pear Says:

    O’Neil needs to study Simple Jack from Tropic Thunder.

  74. Dave Pear Says:

    We need to keep the tarded wonder around just for the fun of ridiculing the myopic stubbornness (means, like, being a tard).

  75. Jack Mullins Says:

    Bucblind Says: “Baker threw for a whole 12.7 yards less a game than Mahomes. Plus his average was .4 yards more than Mahomes. Sorry, just the facts.”

    Compare the two QBs during the first three quarters and it’s ugly. Mayfield’s stats are heavily padded from 4th-quarter catch-up “heroics” against prevent defenses who had the game in the bag. He excels when the pressure if off and throws picks when the pressure is on.

  76. Dave Pear Says:

    The Baker deniers have one solution to suggest.

    Call for Bowels to be fired. Call for Licht to be fired.

    Go ahead, Osqueeltaard. Do it. You’re so smart they’ll listen. And — They get fired, it’s your chance. Take the job that your mom’s bedroom closet has prepared you for.

  77. DavidBigBucsFan99 Says:

    Bucben61 Baker might be able to play better if you fanboos would lessen your grip. He can’t go to the bathroom without one of you tripping him up.