Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield delivers early MVP statement

Even though the 2025 NFL season is only six weeks old, there is a clear front-runner starting to emerge in the league's MVP race. It just might not be the player anybody would have put at the top of the list when the season began. 

It is Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, and he delivered a big statement in his favor on Sunday in a 30-19 win over the San Francisco 49ers. It improves the Buccaneers to 5-1, keeps them on top of the NFC South and continues to highlight what a game-changer he has been for the franchise since joining it prior to the 2023 season.

Baker Mayfield's early MVP statement

If you just looked at the box score of Sunday's game, there is nothing overly dominant about Mayfield's performance. He finished the day 17-of-23 passing for 256 yards (11.1 yards per pass attempt) and two touchdowns with zero interceptions. Solid. Professional. Efficient. He did what he needed to do. 

But what makes it so impressive, and such a big statement, is that he did it with an extremely depleted wide receiver unit. He entered the day without Mike Evans, and then lost rookie sensation Emeka Egbuka to an injury during the game. And he still delivered a big performance against a good 49ers team that entered the day with a matching 4-1 record. 

That alone was important. The other part of his performance that stood out was a jaw-dropping sequence of plays in the third quarter that helped Tampa Bay take control of the game.

With the Buccaneers clinging to a one-point lead and facing a crucial 3rd-and 14, Mayfield did it all himself with a stunning scramble to convert for a first down.