Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield Was Better Last Season In One Key Passing Stat originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has completely turned his career trajectory around since arriving in town ahead of the 2023 season.
Replacing legend and seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady is no easy proposition, but Mayfield’s transition in Tampa Bay has been seamless.
Posting two career seasons since being signed by general manager Jason Licht, Mayfield has helped the Bucs to a record-tying four straight NFC South titles and five playoff appearances in a row.
But last season, we saw a part of Baker’s game improve that might not have been anticipated. Pro Football Focus measured each quarterback’s release rate last season, and Mayfield proved to have the third-most attempts in the league in releasing the ball in under 2.5 seconds.
“Baker Mayfield’s transition in Tampa Bay is a prime example, as his time to throw has decreased over the past two seasons compared to his previous three, resulting in increased production,” Mason Cameron wrote. “This past season, Mayfield recorded 335 attempts in under 2.5 seconds — more than in any season he played outside of Tampa. He posted an 85.8% adjusted completion percentage and 29 touchdowns on such plays in 2024, both of which led the NFL.”
Mayfield has been named to the Pro Bowl for the first and second times in his career since joining the Bucs. In 2023, he posted career highs in yards (4,044), touchdowns (28) and completion percentage (64.3).
That earned him a three-year, $100 million deal from Licht and the team, and last season, he bested those career numbers by a lot with 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and a 71.4 completion percentage.
Baker has built on the previous year each season with the Bucs, and that trend could continue in 2025.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.