Startling statistics reveal Tampa Bay's signal caller leads the Chiefs' superstar in touchdowns and passer rating over their last 45 starts, fueling a high-stakes contract standoff.
Entering a pivotal contract season, all eyes are on Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and how he will fare in this year's new-look offense.
Of course, without Tampa Bay legend Mike Evans, players like Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin Jr. will have to step up for their signal caller.
But, at the end of the day, its on Mayfield to perform in a similar fashion to how he played towards the beginning of last season - like an MVP candidate.
On Wednesday, Hard Rock Bet's X page posted a shocking graphic of Mayfield's numbers in his last 45 starts compared to two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes.
While Mahomes has dealt with his fair share of injuries and offensive personnel shuffling, Mayfield has outplayed the legendary gunslinger in most categories.
In Mayfield's last 45 starts, he has recorded 10,874 yards, 83 passing touchdowns and 33 interceptions, completing 66.5% of his passes and notching a 98.6 passer rating.
Compare this to Mahomes, who has more yards (11,472), but is outnumbered in touchdowns (73), interceptions (35), completion percentage (66.2%), and passer rating (92.4).
These are shocking numbers considering the two signal callers' standing in the league and within national media, and could point towards why the Bucs and Mayfield are still seeking common ground in a contract extension.
Mayfield is entering the final year of his 3-year, $100 million deal, while Mahomes recently signed an 8-year contract extension worth $504.75 million.
Mahomes' deal marks the first NFL contract to be north of $500 million, and deservingly so.
However, with Mayfield playing out his original, team-friendly deal with Tampa, it would be fair for him to want to be paid more this time around.
BucsRoundtable's Pankti Parmar recently reported that "Baker is staring down age 31 and wants to be paid top-tier market value, with rumors floating around that his average per year market value is $50 million."
Last season, Mayfield was tenth in the NFL with 3,693 passing yards, throwing for 26 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions, but his numbers don't tell the full story of Tampa's strange season.
Following Tampa's strong 5-1 start to the season, the Bucs dropped seven of their last nine to end the year, losing the NFC South crown for the first time in five seasons.
After the hot start, Mayfield and Mahomes were neck-and-neck in MVP betting odds, with the Bucs' QB looking like a top-5 player at his position.
Injuries and bizarre offensive droughts ended these ambitions, but Mayfield still showed the ability to be a premier NFL quarterback.
Entering 2026, its unrealistic to say that Mayfield is better than Mahomes, but General Manager Jason Licht may want to lock him down before he can have a big season and boost his market value further.
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