Buccaneers' 'Nightmare' Scenario Revealed
Buccaneers' 'Nightmare' Scenario Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025 loom as one of the NFC's top teams, and with a well-rounded roster, some believe the franchise might make a deep playoff run.
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Baker Mayfield will again lead the Buccaneers after back-to-back division titles and two Pro Bowls, his career resurgence has been good to see.
The offense added Emeka Egbuka to go along with an embarrassment of riches with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, Cade Otton, and Bucky Irving. Defensively, Todd Bowles' group added Haason Reddick and managed to re-sign Lavonte David.
So, expectations are high for Tampa Bay. But with that being said, what would be a nightmare season for the Buccaneers?
Bleacher Report has an interesting take.
"Baker Mayfield finally falls apart, but they again win a soft division anyway and are again short on draft capital," Bleacher Report writes.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6).Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
So Mayfield "falls apart" yet still manages to lead the Buccaneers to the playoffs?
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Color us confused.
If there were a season for Baker to "fall apart," this one likely isn't where it will happen.
Josh Grizzard is Baker's "new" offensive coordinator, but he was the passing game coordinator under Liam Coen last season, so it won't be entirely new for Mayfield.
Plus, with the improvement on Irving, McMillan, and Godwin, hopefully back for more than seven games, and then we add in Egbuka.
Will that mean he falls apart after a career-best season that saw him throw 41 touchdowns and 4,500 yards? Time will tell.
However, we believe that if Mayfield does indeed "fall apart," Tampa Bay won't make the playoffs as division winners.
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This nightmare scenario is a little odd, with Mayfield now having two full seasons of evidence to suggest that his decline might not be as rapid as most expect.
Related: Baker Mayfield Speaks Out On New Buccaneers' Play-Caller
Related: Analyst Believes $100 Million Baker Mayfield Is 'Underpaid' For Tampa Bay
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
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