The 49ers and Dolphins will be taking a look at the UFL’s best player in 2026. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Jack Plummer will work out for San Francisco on Friday and Miami next week. Plummer is the UFL’s reigning MVP, having won it for his season with the Orlando Storm. He led the UFL with 2,188 passing yards while tossing 17 touchdowns with just one interception in 10 games. Plummer previously spent time with the Panthers after going undrafted in 2024. He was waived by the team during roster cuts last year
The 49ers and Dolphins will be taking a look at the UFL's best player in 2026. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Jack Plummer will work out for San Francisco on Friday and Miami next week. Plummer is the UFL's reigning MVP, having won it for his season with the Orlando Storm. He led the UFL with 2,188 passing yards while tossing 17 touchdowns with just one interception in 10 games. Plummer previously spent time with the Panthers after going undrafted in 2024. He was waived by the team during roster cuts last year
The New Orleans Saints have not made the playoffs since the 202o season, which also happened to be quarterback Drew Brees last with the team before retiring a couple of months later. Since then, the Saints have undergone a lot of changes with both players and personnel. Now under the leadership of head coach Kellen Moore and quarterback Tyler Shough , who went 5-4 last season after being named the team’s starter in Week 9, the Saints have a lot of momentum and fans have plenty of reasons to be optimistic that this is the year the playoff drought ends. It also looks like they aren’t the only one, as Brees, who will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame next month, has also weighed in with his opinion. In a recent interview with Heavy Sports, Brees was asked his thoughts on if the Saints can win the division this year. “1,000%,” said Brees. “Last year, it was a three-team race down to the wire. Actually, I guess it was really a four-team race down to the wire. They were all just kind of hovering around .500. Tampa has been kind of the favorite and then Carolina was kind of able to bump them off the top last year. Bryce Young played well. They got three really good receivers, ran the ball well. They got some good young talent on defense. Atlanta has been the one that’s kind of been unpredictable. Michael Penix gets hurt. But they’ve got some weapons on offense, and so we’ll see how he comes back this year.” Brees added why he thinks there is no clear favorite and the division is wide open this season, “ Baker Mayfield . I think he’s kind of the one you know real veteran QB in the division. You know, so they kind of they kind of give them the nod as far as just maybe having a bit of the advantage. But look, you know, Saints beat the Bucs. Saints beat the Bucs last year at their place, beat Carolina twice. You know, and so as you as you look at it, it’s pretty wide open.” We will soon see how the 2026 season will shape up for the Saints, as they hit the practice field next Wednesday for the start of training camp and their first preseason game will kick off against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, August 15, in Caesars Superdome
Myles Garrett had an NFL record 23 sacks with the Cleveland Browns last season, which is phenomenal, but his legacy could be even better if he improved on his mark in 2026 with the Los Angeles Rams. At least one NFL writer thinks that he will. It’s not that Garrett’s sack record is not legitimate, but imagine how much better his legacy would be if Garrett got to 23 sacks in 16 games instead of 17 games. Imagine if he did it with the Rams, for a good team, instead of with the Browns. And imagine if he didn’t just break the record, but that he shattered it. In making 61 predictions for the 2026 NFL season, SB Nation’s Jarrett Bailey went above and beyond when it came to predicting the type of first season that Garrett will have in L.A. : Myles Garrett breaks sack record for second straight year After recording 6.5 sacks in the first two weeks of the season, the Myles Garrett sack record watch becomes a focal point around the NFL for the second straight season. It doesn’t take him the full 17 games to achieve it this time around, though, as he gets to Baker Mayfield in Week 15 to get sack No. 24 on the year before finishing the season with 25.5 and winning his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award. In addition to breaking the sacks record, Bailey also predicted that Garrett would have 3.5 sacks against the Giants in Week 2. That’s the type of start that Garrett will need to get off to in order to break his own record. Playing along side Aaron Donald couldn’t hurt, if that’s what happens. Bailey also predicted that the Rams will blow out the 49ers in Week 1 and eventually earn the number one seed. “Nothing groundbreaking here. The Rams essentially built their own version of the MonSTARS by trading for both Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett to add to a team that already featured Puka Nacua , Davante Adams , and reigning MVP Matthew Stafford . They’ll win 14 games and get the top seed in the NFC.” However, he has the Dallas Cowboys winning the Super Bowl. I guess you can’t win ‘em all
This year, the annual NFL Top 100 list is being revealed over the not so brief span of June 22 through September 4. A couple of former Philadelphia Eagles players have already made appearances ( A.J. Brown at No. 80, Josh Sweat at No. 78) but now a current member of the Birds has finally been revealed. Jalen Hurts is checking in at No. 56, according to this list determined by player voting. Here’s a highlights clip that features praise from his peers: For the third year in a row, Hurts’ ranking in the NFL Top 100 has dropped. He was No. 3 in 2023, No. 15 in 2024, and No. 19 in 2025. Hurts is the eighth quarterback to make the list thus far. He finished above the following players at his position: No. 59 – Bo Nix No. 62 – Trevor Lawrence No. 69 – Lamar Jackson No. 72 – Jordan Love No. 77 – Baker Mayfield No. 85 – Brock Purdy No. 98 – Bryce Young It’s interesting to see this player-voted list contrasted with the recent ESPN survey of front office executives and coaches. The latter had Hurts ranked as the league’s seventeenth-best quarterback , which feels harsh. Comparatively speaking, Hurts clearly draws more respect from his fellow players. Perhaps none more than former Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson , who went as far to say that Hurts should top the list: I’d guess even some of the biggest Hurts supporters would admit that’s extreme. But the sentiment is admirable. While it’s not surprising to see CJGJ hype up his former teammate and fellow Super Bowl champion, it is pretty notable that he’s putting Hurts above his current Buffalo Bills teammate Josh Allen . What do you think of Hurts’ placement in this year’s NFL Top 100 list? Too high, too low, just right? Scroll down and join the discussion in the comments! Hat tip to our community for getting the ball rolling on this topic first in The Feed:
The Buccaneers are reportedly preparing to ramp up contract negotiations with quarterback Baker Mayfield, whose current deal expires after the 2026 season. With a significant cap hit for 2026 and potential for a high franchise tag in 2027, both sides face challenges in agreeing on a new deal. Mayfield has a history of betting on himself, suggesting he's willing to test free agency if a satisfactory offer isn't reached
By this time next week, all 32 NFL teams will have reported to training camp for the 2026 season. Camp content flooding the internet is a major indicator that fantasy football drafts are right around the corner. Before we start building championship rosters, it’s important to monitor training camp battles at each position for certain teams in order to get a grasp on the value of certain players. Let’s look at some key quarterback and running back training camp battles that are the most relevant for fantasy football purposes. Candidates: Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel Baker Mayfield in 2020 is the last time the Browns have had one quarterback start every game in a single season. Aside from Mayfield, Cleveland has had 12 different quarterbacks start at least one game over the last five seasons. That includes Deshaun Watson , Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel , all of whom will compete for the starting job in 2026, as well. New head coach Todd Monken did preview this training camp battle during OTAs stating that the Browns had “two starting-level quarterbacks,” referring to Watson and Sanders. To be blunt, it’s difficult to get excited about either of the two and, as a result, any of the pass catchers in Cleveland. Watson is returning from two Achilles tears in October 2024 and January 2025. Sanders started seven games last season, averaging just 193.2 passing yards per game. The Browns did draft KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston with the 24 th and 39 th picks, respectively, but Jerry Jeudy did draw 106 targets last season and, as of now, is still on the team. Harold Fannin Jr. had one of the greatest rookie seasons ever for a tight end, recording a 72/731/6 receiving line on 107 targets. He is probably the safest pick regardless of which quarterback is out there for the Browns. Fannin no longer has to compete with David Njoku for snaps. He also averaged 13.5 PPR points per game with Sanders at quarterback, compared to 10.5 points per game with a combination of Gabriel and Joe Flacco . Candidates: Fernando Mendoza, Kirk Cousins Las Vegas has a new face of the franchise in quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, they signed veteran Kirk Cousins just a few weeks before selecting Mendoza. This is significant especially in consideration to minority owner Tom Brady ’s opinion on rookie quarterbacks. He’s on record back in 2024 expressing his thoughts that it’s “a tragedy that we’re forcing these rookies to play early.” There’s really no reason for Mendoza to take the field as a rookie. Las Vegas is still a work in progress in regard to legitimately competing with the Chiefs, Chargers and Broncos in the AFC West. The Raiders also don’t have much beyond Brock Bowers in the passing game. Tre Tucker , Jalen Nailor and Jack Bech top the depth chart at wide receiver. So, while there is still an opportunity at a training camp battle between Mendoza and Cousins, it’s likely the latter who is out there in Week 1. Based on what we saw now Vegas head coach, but then Seattle offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, do with the Seahawks’ offense last season, Bowers and Ashton Jeanty are still priority picks for fantasy football even if Cousins starts the entirety of the season. Falcons candidates: Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr. Vikings candidates: Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy Tua Tagovailoa is owed $54 million in guaranteed money this season. However, the Miami Dolphins are on the hook for just over $52 million of it following his release. Meanwhile, the Falcons, who signed Tua to a one-year deal, paid just $1.215 million to do so. It’s a bargain for a team in desperate need of someone to support a star-studded group of offensive playmakers that includes Bijan Robinson , Drake London and Kyle Pitts Sr. While there may appear to be a training camp battle between Tua and Michael Penix Jr., it’s hard to imagine Penix as the Week 1 starter after tearing his ACL last November; the third of [... truncated ...]
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated thinks that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield will reach a contract extension before Week 1 of the regular season in early September. Mayfield said in June that the two sides weren't close to a new deal and that he didn't want to negotiate after training camp started this summer. The Buccaneers made an official offer back in June, and the reality is that Mayfield's camp wasn't pleased with the offer and hasn't made a counteroffer yet. There hasn't been much progress since, but Breer reports that Tampa is "prepared to dive in on negotiations this week," with the first day of practice set for next Wednesday. The 31-year-old is due to make $40 million in 2026, the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract. Something in the range of $165 million over another three years for Mayfield makes the most sense. For fantasy purposes, the two-time Pro Bowler failed to reach the 4,000-yard passing mark for the third straight year in 2025 while battling through injuries. Better health should help him in 2026, but in a new offense without future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans, a bounce-back isn't guaranteed. Fantasy managers should treat Mayfield as more of a low-end QB2 in superflex formats for 2026
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport suggests that if rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza performs well early, he could force the Las Vegas Raiders to make him their starting quarterback sooner than expected, potentially even within the upcoming season, serving as excellent news for the team
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby says four quarterbacks stand out as the hardest in the NFL to sack. Asked in a kick.com interview who he considers the hardest to sack in the league, Crosby named Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. “Mahomes has definitely got to be up there, Lamar is a freak athlete, he’s so quick and fast. Josh Allen is like my size playing quarterback, but you’ve got to really fucking tackle him. I’d say those three are the top,” Crosby said. “A sleeper one, too: Baker Mayfield. He pissed me off. I had two of them I should have had on him. He ducked under, got under them. I was fucking livid. Baker’s tough. I like Baker.” Crosby never sacked Mayfield in that game (the photo accompanying this post shows one of the near-sacks that Mayfield escaped), and Mayfield threw for three touchdown passes in a 28-13 Buccaneers win. Crosby hasn’t forgotten
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby says four quarterbacks stand out as the hardest in the NFL to sack. Asked in a kick.com interview who he considers the hardest to sack in the league, Crosby named Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes , Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson , Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield . "Mahomes has definitely got to be up there, Lamar is a freak athlete, he's so quick and fast. Josh Allen is like my size playing quarterback, but you've got to really fucking tackle him. I'd say those three are the top," Crosby said. "A sleeper one, too: Baker Mayfield. He pissed me off. I had two of them I should have had on him. He ducked under, got under them. I was fucking livid. Baker's tough. I like Baker." Crosby never sacked Mayfield in that game (the photo accompanying this post shows one of the near-sacks that Mayfield escaped), and Mayfield threw for three touchdown passes in a 28-13 Buccaneers win. Crosby hasn't forgotten
A weekly roundup of Jacksonville Jaguars player highlights from X/Twitter, featuring Trevor Lawrence at the American Century Championship, Josh Hines-Allen's London memory, and other players like Branson Combs, Travis Hunter, Cam Little, and LeQuint Allen
The Cincinnati Bengals have done a masterful job of building this offense. Part of that gets recognized as they get voted as having the No. 1 Triplets (quarterback, wide receiver and running back) in the NFL. It is safe to say that you can easily argue Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase as the best quarterback and wide receiver Duo in the NFL. Realistically, Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua are the only other pair that comes close. But Chase Brown proving he is a good quality running back gets Cincinnati vaulted to the top spot in this particular category. You could even make the argument that the Triplets tag is holding the Bengals back here. If it were simply the top three offensive players on the list Tee Higgins would take Brown’s place, and it is hard to assume voters would have a hard time determining who the top team would be then. How far ahead do you think the Bengals Triplets are from the rest of the NFL? 2026 NFL ‘Triplets’ rankings: Where every team’s QB, RB, pass catcher combo stands The Bengals are on top once again. They reclaimed the top spot in the rankings last year and received seven of the nine first-place votes this season. Burrow’s injury absence wasn’t enough to knock them off their perch, thanks in large part to his excellence but also the combination of him and Chase, and Brown’s emergence as a quality back in every situation except the one where Jake Browning is under center is also a contributor to the Bengals’ position at the top of the rankings. Netflix “Quarterback” Season Three Featuring Joe Flacco Now Streaming Quarterback give viewers exclusive, unprecedented access to four quarterbacks across the 2025 NFL season both on and off the field. This season features Flacco , Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield , Tennessee Titans rookie QB Cam Ward and Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels . Relive key moments from the season and get a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the QB position one of football’s toughest jobs. One Joe Burrow training camp tweak Bengals can actually afford to make now Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has had a rough go of it throughout his NFL career in training camp. He came off a devastating knee injury entering his second season. Another year, his appendix exploded. A tweaked calf hampered him on another occasion. Joe Flacco says TJ Watt’s penalized Bengals-Steelers hit had intention “Man, he f—ed me up,” Flacco said of Watt’s hit. “He knew what he was doing, too. He was like, ‘I’ve got a chance to hit him here. I’m gonna take full advantage. … But that’s football. That’s the Steelers defense.” Holes are being poked in one of Bengals’ marquee free-agent signings The Cincinnati Bengals have made plenty of waves this offseason, including a long-awaited major move to address their safety position. Two-time Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl champ Bryan Cook , a Cincinnati native, is now rocking the Bengals stripes. Orlando Brown Jr.: I feel Bengals have the best pass protection unit in the NFL “I really think — and I say this confidently — I really feel like we got the best pass protection unit in the NFL,” Brown said. “There isn’t a lot of groups that could come do what we do on a week-to-week basis and have the success that we’ve had, especially with the circumstances.”
Here at Cat Scratch Reader we have counted down the final 100 days leading up to the Carolina Panthers season opener by for at least the past ten years. We’ve always done this by highlighting the current player on the roster whose jersey number matches the day on the countdown. This year, we decided to change that up a bit by counting down our own list of the Top 100 Panthers of all time. This does not correspond to jersey number, does not need to be somebody who wore a jersey, and will in no way be controversial. Former LSU defensive standout Donte Jackson was taken 55th overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2018 NFL Draft. As a second round pick, he was expected to contribute right away. Jackson proved to be one of Marty Hurney’s few non-first round picks to work out, starting all 16 games for the Panthers his rookie year. Though he lacked the prototypical size at just 5’10” and 180 lbs, he had that dawg mentality and the athleticism to stick with almost anyone. Jackson filled up the stat sheet his rookie year: nabbing four interceptions, defending nine passes, forcing a fumble, and even notching a sack. Jackson’s quality play continued throughout his four year rookie deal, and he was rewarded with a three year, $35.1 million with the Panthers. Unfortunately for Jackson (and the Panthers), injuries hit in the very first year of that new contract. He had an ankle injury that sidelined him in Week 8, but returned the following game. In Week 10, he tore his Achilles on a Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons , ending his season with just nine games played. That injury was just one exclamation point on a disappointing season that saw the firing of Matt Rhule, the Christian McCaffrey trade, and a quarterback carousel that included Baker Mayfield , Sam Darnold , and PJ Walker. The new regime in 2023 under Dave Canales used Jackson a ton on defense, and he started all 16 games logging 91% of the defensive snaps on a less-than-stellar defense. He failed to make an interception and had a career worst passer rating against of 107.7, leading to the Panthers moving on. Jackson was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers that offseason with a sixth round pick for Diontae Johnson and a seventh round pick. That pick by the Panthers was linebacker Michael Barrett , who was subsequently traded to the Seattle Seahawks for Mike Jackson , who has been damn good in Carolina. Donte Jackson started all 15 games he played in for the Steelers in 2024 and signed a two year, $13 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers . He returned to his high quality performance in LA last year, with four interceptions, 12 passed defended, and an absurd 56.8 passer rating against. Still only 30 years old, Jackson could very well continue his elevated play for several years. Could a reunion in Carolina be down the road? Who knows? I’m sure neither side would hate the idea, and the fans would welcome him back with open arms. Jackson’s consistently good performance over his six seasons in Carolina (even when the team was bad), combined with him being a fan favorite, earned Action Jackson the No. 61 spot on our countdown of the Top 100 Panthers
We dynasty fantasy football managers are always looking for value in a buy-low opportunity. The best way to stay ahead of your leaguemates and keep a high-value team is to find players before they rise in value consistently. Well, you’re in luck. I’ve already done the work for you, so let’s dive right in. What an incredible year and a half it’s been for Tyler Shough . During the 2024 college football season, Shough was hardly seen as a good NFL quarterback prospect. However, his physical skills had him rapidly rising on draft boards. Selected in the second round last year by the Saints, he was still expected little from. After playing in college for six years, it’s hard to see how any prospect could develop more in the pros. Getting his chance to start in Week 8, Shough soon proved the haters wrong. The collegiate “journeyman” got his feet under himself, and from Week 10 on, Shough averaged 18.6 fantasy PPG with three outings over 20. Tyler Shough ADP 122 (QB20) – From week 12 to 18 he was the QB6 in fantasy points per game – Showed a rushing floor of around 25 yards per game pic.twitter.com/LYZyW7Osyf — Fumble Factory (@DailyFumbles) July 12, 2026 This offseason, the Saints worked to make things even better for their QB. They bolstered the offensive line, signed Travis Etienne , and drafted wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and tight end Oscar Delp . The Saints now have the right surroundings for Shough to make a second-year jump. Most will tell you he can’t improve from where he is because of his advanced age, but those same people underestimated him as a rookie as well. Buy Shough by tiering down from Cameron Ward or Baker Mayfield . Bhayshul Tuten was everyone’s favorite sleeper running back in the 2025 draft class. He’s a dynamic athlete who was highly productive in college and comes with pass-catching skills. Tuten’s rookie season was one that everyone on either side of the fence could look at and dig into further. Tuten “bulls” saw him earn a short-yardage role and perform when called upon. His “bears” saw him fail to make a big dent in Travis Etienne ‘s workload, likely due to his own ball security issues from college. Tuten averaged only 5.9 PPR PPG for the season. This offseason, however, Tuten got great news. The Jaguars let Etienne walk in free agency and only brought in Chris Rodriguez . Many point to Rodriguez playing for Jaguars’ head coach Liam Coen in college as a reason to worry about Tuten. But Rodriguez could barely stay on the Commanders’ roster over his three-year career there, and he has only six receptions . You heard that right, six . In three years. Tuten has every chance to earn a large role for the Jaguars and will be the main receiving back. Tier down with Javonte Williams or Bucky Irving to Tuten. It’s been a frustrating four years being a Christian Watson fan. Any time he’s been healthy, he’s shown to be one of the most efficient wide receivers in fantasy football. As a rookie, Watson was 1st among all wide receivers in Fantasy Points per Target . In 2025, while returning from an ACL in the same calendar year, he averaged 13.2 PPR PPG. An absolutely incredible feat, and one that doesn’t get talked about enough. For his career, he catches a touchdown on 8.8% of his targets, a top-notch mark. Unfortunately, over these four years, Watson has missed a total of 20 games. Despite his injury history, the Packers rewarded the North Dakota product for his healthy play this offseason by signing him to a contract extension worth up to $92 million. A contract like that shows plenty of confidence. Additionally, the Packers let Romeo Doubs leave via free agency and traded away Dontayvion Wicks . Neither was truly battling Watson for targets, but it opens up more snaps. $110 million WR Christian Watson pic.twitter.com/VIKlwHZyMI — Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) June 4, 2026 Head coach Matt LaFleur had a habit of rotating his wide receivers; however, it looks like that time is up. Watson is lined up for anot
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Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is tough. Very tough. Perhaps tough to a fault. Via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Mayfield reveals in the upcoming season of Quarterback that, in 2025, he played with a sprained MCL and PCL in his knee from Week 2 on. Mayfield also had a “bad biceps contusion” in his throwing arm, and he injured the shoulder of his non-throwing arm. If Mayfield had a knee injury for that much of the season, it didn’t show up in the injury reports. “Knee” wasn’t listed at all until Week 8. Here’s the full breakdown of the 10 weeks in which Mayfield appeared on the injury report: Week 3 (foot/toe), Week 4 (right biceps), Week 5 (right knee/biceps), Week 8 (knee), Week 10 (knee/oblique), Week 12 (illness), Week 13 (left shoulder), Week 14 (left shoulder), Week 15 (left shoulder), Week 18 (right shoulder/knee). It underscores the fact that the NFL’s injury-reporting rules don’t contain nearly enough information. Sometimes, players simply don’t tell the team about their injuries. Sometimes, players get treatment away from the team’s facility. Regardless, at a time when inside information has become a problem when it comes to gambling in other sports, every story about a player being more injured than the official reports revealed becomes another situation in which someone who knew the hidden truth can misappropriate the knowledge
On October 5, 2025, Baker Mayfield produced one of the best individual performances of the season: 29-for-33 for 379 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Seahawks in Seattle. In hindsight, considering the future Super Bowl champions' defense was arguably the best in the entire league, it's all the more impressive. Add in the tremendous uniform matchup, and it was truly a thing of beauty. pic.twitter.com/TDmCHIHJHl Mayfield and the Buccaneers were riding high after that win and again a week later, when Mayfield threw for a pair of touchdowns in a 30-19 win over the 49ers . Tampa Bay was 5-1. Mayfield looked like a legit MVP candidate, having thrown 12 touchdown passes and just one interception. As quickly as the rise came, it subsided. On a Monday night showdown against the Lions , Mayfield aggravated a knee injury and called out the refs after a blowout loss. The Buccaneers won the next week against the Saints but lost seven of their final nine games, finishing 8-9 and missing the postseason. Season 3 of Netflix's "Quarterback" documentary series, featuring Mayfield, debuts Tuesday, and Evan Closky of WTSP-TV got early access. Mayfield discloses what was a brutal run of injury luck : A former teammate said he was going through even more. "I'm telling you, Baker was going through a lot," Lavonte David said on "The Arena" podcast in April. "Baker had a lot of injuries that you didn't expect a quarterback to play through. He had the oblique injury, he had the shoulder injury, he had a lot of things -- like ankle injury, knee injury -- he had a lot of stuff he was going through. The season's over now, I can talk about it, but he had a lot of stuff that he was going through and he was really trying to push and really trying to be the player that we needed him to be. To be honest, he was doing his thing for the most part." Week 12 was particularly tough -- Mayfield went just 9-for-19 for 41 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions before being pulled in a 34-7 loss to the Rams -- but give Mayfield credit. He started all 17 games and never seemed to complain. "Pain is miserable, but toughness shows how bad you want something," Mayfield says in "Quarterback," according to Closky. Still, there's no denying the massive drop-off in Mayfield's play, and it didn't help that several players, including wide receivers Mike Evans , Chris Godwin Jr. and Jalen McMillan , missed significant time. Baker Mayfield 2025 ranks Weeks 1-6 Weeks 7-18 Yards per attempt 8th 31st TD-Int 3rd 26th Explosives per dropback 4th 23rd Deep throw rate 2nd 23rd Mayfield's chance to bounce back, both physically and in terms of level of play, coincides with a contract year. He's in the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract earned after his surprising career revival in 2023. Pegged as a bridge quarterback on a one-year deal in 2023 after Tom Brady retired, Mayfield instead threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns, led the Buccaneers to the playoffs and made his first Pro Bowl. So there's precedent for him stepping up with free agency looming. Whether this will be a contract year, though, remains up in the air. Mayfield said he would stop negotiations for an extension once training camp started, and that's just over two weeks away. Former NFL agent Joel Corry looked at the ins and outs of what Mayfield's next contract could look like . The pressure isn't only on Mayfield, but also on Todd Bowles, who has won just one playoff game in four years in Tampa Bay. The collapse last year was a difficult one for both sides of the ball, as the defense, which Bowles runs, finished 19th in yards allowed and 20th in points allowed. The offense ranked roughly the same -- 20th in yards, 21st in points. Bowles fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard after the season and hired Zac Robinson . With Evans gone, the Buccaneers will rely on Egbuka taking the next step after a strong start to his rookie year gave way to some strug
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Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
