Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) gives a press conference after mini camp. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield reveals No. 1 priority going into the season

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has played great football over the past two seasons, but he has one aspect of his game he's working on heading into 2025 — getting the football out quicker.

It's hard to pick too many holes in Mayfield's game, especially last year. He was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, throwing for 41 touchdowns and 4,500 yards, and he helped lead Tampa Bay to a top-five offensive ranking last year. He did throw 16 interceptions, and he's already mentioned this offseason that he's looking to make better decisions to cut those down — but he revealed another area he's looking to work on in 2025.

Mayfield spoke to ESPN's Dan Graziano during training camp, and when asked what his No. 1 priority for the season was, he mentioned that he's looking to get the ball out quicker.

Baker Mayfield's looking to improve his release time

"The priority for me, once again, going into this year, is how quickly can I get the ball out of my hands," Mayfield said to Graziano. "We've got a bunch of good receivers, skill players that can do a lot more with it than I can."

Mayfield is looking to work on it, but this is still an area he excelled in last year. Per PFF, he had 335 attempts in under 2.5 seconds, getting the ball out very quickly. Overall, he was tied for 10th in the league among the 26 quarterbacks who threw 362 or more passes, getting rid of the ball in 2.77 seconds on average. That's already impressive, but good things could come if Mayfield can get the ball out even quicker.

A big part of Mayfield's game is his improvisation out of the pocket, and he'll certainly look to keep that going in 2025. If he can balance that nature with a quicker, more precise release, Mayfield could be a lethal quarterback this upcoming season.