Baker Mayfield disclosed that he played through a series of significant injuries during the 2025 NFL season, a challenging year that saw his performance dip in the latter half. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback revealed the extent of his physical struggles on Netflix's “Quarterback” series.
Mayfield stated he played with a sprained MCL and PCL from Week 2 onward. He also dealt with a biceps contusion that he believes impacted his throwing velocity. In Week 10, he sustained a shoulder injury during a loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Despite these ailments, Mayfield did not miss any games. According to Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, Mayfield appeared on the injury report 10 times throughout the season and was listed with eight different injuries, yet he missed only two practices.
The quarterback's 2025 season was characterized by a noticeable difference in performance before and after the Buccaneers' bye week. In the first eight weeks, Mayfield was considered an MVP candidate, leading the team to a 6-2 record with 13 touchdowns and only three interceptions. However, following the bye week, the Buccaneers struggled, finishing the season 2-7 and missing the playoffs with an 8-9 record. During this later stretch, Mayfield threw nine interceptions in the final nine games, with his accuracy being inconsistent.
Former Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David commented on Mayfield's difficult 2025 season in April on “The Arena” podcast, noting that the quarterback was "going through a lot" and enduring injuries "that you didn’t expect a quarterback to play through."
This season followed a career-best 2024 campaign for Mayfield, where he recorded 41 touchdowns and completed 71.4 percent of his passes. In his three years with the Buccaneers, Mayfield has reached the playoffs twice and thrown 95 touchdowns. Mayfield, 31, is entering the final year of a three-year contract extension he signed in 2024, and has not yet signed a new deal with the team.