An Open Letter to Baker Mayfield: Questions Heading Into Week 6

Dear Baker Mayfield,

It’s been awesome to watch you and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shine during these first five weeks of the 2025 season, being among only seven teams with a 4-1 record. After these five weeks, you’ve been ranked as a top 10 quarterback among three categories according to PFF: ranked 8th for most passing attempts with 172, 3rd in passing touchdowns with 10, and 4th in passing yards with 1283.

Among these acclamations, Eric Edholm (lead draft writer of the NFL) said “He might not be in the eyes of the general public, but I hereby endorse Mayfield’s campaign after his finest showing of the season and yet another dramatic, hold-onto-your-butts victory, this one on the road against a good Seahawks team” as he ranked the Buccaneers as the fourth best team in the NFL and validates my thoughts on your likelihood of getting an MVP nomination.

Last week's matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, although a victory, was the fourth of five games this season that had a narrow win by three points or less. 

Some of these close wins have happened because of the explosive energy of new wide receiver Emeka Egbuka joining the team.

After last year saw Bucky Irving tear down the field, and now Egbuka ranking among the top five wide receivers as 4th in receiving yards (445) and 2nd in receiving touchdowns (5), how would you describe your relationship with newer players such as Irving and Egbuka? And as a quarterback, how do you build this on-field chemistry and trust with them? 

Alongside Egbuka, now going into Week 6 is WR Chris Godwin for this third week back this season after being out several weeks last year and all of preseason, as Mike Evans sits out on the injury reports with leading running back Bucky Irving. Despite these injuries plaguing every game this season, you have still dominated in high-pressure situations.

What’s been the key to keeping a consistent offense despite leading players being sidelined with injuries?

How do you manage your stress when there’s that final minute left in the game, and you know you need that Hail Mary touchdown, but you look off into the hungry defense in front of you?

For four games now, I’ve watched and seen the clocks tick down the final two minutes and feel my nerves starting to bounce in anticipation. I start to think to myself and wonder, “What all-time magic is Mayfield going to pull out this time?” almost like I expect you never to lose, yet I’m shocked every time you make that drive to either a last-second touchdown or get close enough for the final field goal. I can’t even begin to imagine the intensity of that situation and the overwhelming focus and control you must have to manage it.

And to Edholm’s point from earlier, this repetition of you providing over and over again how quick you are to react and think on your feet in the closing pocket certainly proves you are on track for an MVP this year that I’m sure so many of us would love to see you receive.  

Now shifting gears to look and focus on the team as a whole, last week I was tasked with finding a movie that would describe the Buccaneers this season and your campaign across the NFC. I chose the film The Magnificent Seven.

What film would you say most closely represents the progress the Buccaneers have made this year, and why?

And a little bit to that point, how would you say the team has grown as a whole over the last three years you’ve been with them?

Does this progression still fit within the film’s narrative you chose? If not, how does it differ and change your perspective?

Over the past three years, particularly in the last year, Tampa Bay has evolved from a team searching for stability to one that thrives on collective resilience, much like the comparison I mentioned earlier to The Magnificent Seven. Each player, from rookie Egbuka to veteran Godwin, brings a unique strength, not unlike the film’s ensemble of flawed yet determined fighters. The chemistry on the field mirrors that same bond: trust forged through adversity. Watching this transformation unfold, it’s clear that the Buccaneers have become a must-see team throughout the rest of the season, and it’ll be fun to track you all over the coming weeks against your movie picks. 

Every great movie needs a lead who can carry the story when the stakes rise, and in this NFL 2025 season, Mr. Mayfield, you’ve done exactly that. Whether this narrative ends with confetti or another comeback cliffhanger, it’s gonna be a blockbuster no one should miss. The Magnificent Seven had its heroes and the Buccaneers theirs. We’re excited to see how you come out on top in the end.