Baker Mayfield is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. But recently, he’s been under scrutiny over where he stands skill-wise. The 30-year-old QB plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has seen his fair share of success. But who exactly is he being compared to? And is there some truth behind the rumors?
We’ve seen Mayfield’s stats over the past seasons, and they speak for themselves. So, let’s take a holistic view of Mayfield and break down whether he’s underrated or overrated.
Baker Mayfield’s Transfer And Season History
First things first, where did Baker Mayfield transfer from, and how’s his recent performance been? Mayfield transferred to the Buccaneers before the 2023 season after he was let go from the Cleveland Browns. At that point, he wasn’t averaging the best results, which prompted the Browns to replace him with Deshaun Watson.
Mayfield was struggling with a torn labrum in the 2021 season, severely affecting his ability to play. With no set recovery period in sight, and his stats tanking in the league, the Browns weren’t convinced that keeping him was worth it. They finished with a 6-8 record that season and ended his contract shortly after.
However, after coming to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mayfield has more than shown he deserves a place on the team. Some articles even compare him to Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Baker Mayfield is on track to become a big name in the NFL and is fast-tracking his progress there.
Mayfield vs Mahomes
Baker is highly underrated and overhated
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 26, 2025pic.twitter.com/QqCd9dLIq3
In a recent tweet on X by Don Kleiman, he compared the two star QBs head-to-head. There, he mentioned how Mayfield’s stats and his popularity just don’t add up. With Mayfield surpassing Mahomes in almost every category, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage, interceptions, and passer rating, it’s hard to call Baker Mayfield overrated.
Now, this is according to their stats in the NFL. Why not take a quick look at how Madden decided to rate them? In Madden NFL 25, Patrick Mahomes has a whopping 95 OVR, one of the highest among QBs. Baker Mayfield, however, isn’t quite that lucky, having an 83 OVR in Madden. But this only further justifies the point: Baker Mayfield is criminally underrated.
A player who has played so well and outperformed other top QBs deserves to receive due credit. Perhaps, after seeing his recent performance, EA might bump Mayfield’s OVR in Madden NFL 26. But we’ll have to wait and see what kind of bump he receives. Until then, all the Tampa Bay fans will have to play Madden with an underrated Baker Mayfield.
