The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a golden opportunity to win their first division title of the post-Tom Brady era against the Carolina Panthers this weekend. So who will head coach Todd Bowles tab to start in the game?
Speaking to the media on Friday, Bowles announced that everyone on the team is fully healthy, including quarterback Baker Mayfield. As a result, Mayfield will start the final game of the regular season.
Mayfield has quietly been putting together the best season of his career by far with the Buccaneers this season. While he may only be 8-8 as a starter, he’s hit career highs in every major passing category.
Mayfield will likely wind up being a finalist for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award.
Todd Bowles says everyone is full go for Sunday — Baker Mayfield good to go, Carlton Davis cleared, full health for Panthers game.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 5, 2024
Last year Baker Mayfield went just 2-8 as a starter for the hapless Carolina Panthers and the injury-riddled Los Angeles Rams. At the start of the 2023 offseason, he signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers and was initially seen as the team’s third-string quarterback.
But Mayfield overcame some offseason and early season adversity and now has the team on the verge of making the playoffs.
Sometime in the next few months he’s finally going to hit that big NFL payday too.
Good for him.