Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield Disrespected in Pre-Free Agency Quarterback Rankings

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback is disrespected in pre-free agency QB rankings by The 33rd Team.

The Super Bowl just completed on Sunday evening with Patrick Mahomes, who is seemingly closing the gap quickly on the GOAT Tom Brady, and the Kansas City Chiefs getting the best of the San Francisco 49ers. With the 2023 NFL season now fully finished, everyone is turning their attention to the 2024 season.

There will be mock drafts left and right, free agency primers galore, way-too-early lists, and so much more as the offseason gets into full force from the pundits who cover the National Football League.

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Some of these lists have already started to make their rounds including The 33rd Team’s Derrik Klassen’s pre-free agency quarterback rankings.

Klassen listed his power rankings of the league’s QBs entering the 2024 offseason and from first glance, it is drastically disrespectful to a few guys in the league including Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Baker Mayfield who he listed as just the 20th overall QB in the NFL.

Pre-free agency QB rankings 🎯

✍️ @QBKlasshttps://t.co/XhgISG2Lhg pic.twitter.com/k0dWBRHgI2

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) February 13, 2024

“There always needs to be a mid-tier gunslinger in a starting job — just one guy who is unafraid to rip it and see what happens. Jameis Winston was the last guy to hold the mantle, but now it's Baker Mayfield with his new lease on football life.

“Mayfield simply played with more confidence this season. There was a hint of that when Mayfield took over for the Rams late last season, but it turned up another notch with the Buccaneers. Mayfield was testing tight windows, pushing the ball down the field and standing strong in the pocket in ways he never had before. Not consistently, anyway.

Mayfield is still imperfect. He's less athletic than he thinks he is. Sometimes, he sprays a few throws, and he is far from the NFL's most reliable decision-maker. Mayfield is at least back to being a functional NFL starter, though. More importantly, he's fun to watch again.”

Klassen’s words on Mayfield aren’t necessarily wrong, but the fact remains that Mayfield was able to help lead his team to a playoff victory and down the stretch of the regular season played like a top-10 quarterback in the league. Add in the fact that Baker posted career highs in both passing yards and passing touchdowns and it really raises questions on why he is behind the likes of a few quarterbacks like Anthony Richardson and Kyler Murray.

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Much of those who cover the NFL started to give Mayfield the flowers he deserved towards the end of the season, but it appears that he will still have some proving to do in the eyes of others as we head into 2024.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 offseason.

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