Baker Mayfield hasn't missed a game in three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That's not because he was fully healthy last year.
Mayfield is one of four signal-callers featured in the new season of Netflix's Quarterback. During the documentary series, the two-time Pro Bowler revealed a long list of injuries he played through last season.
Per WTSP's Evan Closky, Mayfield said he played most of the season with a sprained MCL and PCL suffered in a Week 2 win over the Houston Texans. He also experienced a bone bruise in that game, which he later aggravated in a Week 7 loss to the Detroit Lions.
In Week 3, Mayfield suffered a bicep injury that caused a nasty bruise. He rated his discomfort a seven on a scale of one to 10 when playing the New England Patriots after a Week 9 bye.
"Pain is miserable, but toughness shows how bad you want something," Mayfield said.
Mayfield's injury-plagued season
© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Not all of Mayfield's ailments were secrets. Greg Auman of Fox Sports noted that the Buccaneers placed him on the injury report during 10 weeks.
Tampa Bay listed a foot/toe for what now appears to have been a sprained MCL and PCL in Week 3. He played through a right biceps injury in Week 4 and an additional knee injury in Week 5.
The Buccaneers listed knee and oblique injuries in Weeks 8 and 10, and he played through an illness when amassing just 41 passing yards in a Week 12 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Mayfield injured his left shoulder in that game.
How did injuries affect Mayfield?
The injuries may help explain why Mayfield took a notable step back in 2025.
Mayfield followed a rejuvenated 2023 season by registering a career-high 4,500 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns in 2024. The former No. 1 pick led the Buccaneers to an NFC South title each season, and they looked poised to extend that streak when starting last season with five wins in six games.
The Buccaneers instead finished 8-9, with Mayfield throwing nine interceptions in their last eight games. He tallied 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and a 90.6 quarterback rating, all the lowest rates of his Tampa Bay tenure.
Mayfield mustered just two 300-yard passing games after reaching that benchmark six times in 2024 and exceeding 285 in four additional games. His completion percentage dipped from 71.4 to 63.2.
The Buccaneers will hope that a healthy Mayfield returns strong this season.
