Baker Mayfield
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | University of Oklahoma | 8 |
Excellence on the Field:
Since his arrival in Tampa ahead of the 2023 season, Mayfield has put together back-to-back standout seasons and is on pace for yet another in 2025. Signed as an unrestricted free agent in March 2023, Mayfield has since set career-highs in completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns and completion percentage, leading the Buccaneers to back-to-back NFC South titles since his arrival. Serving as a captain the last three seasons, he has already cemented himself in Buccaneer history, becoming the only quarterback in franchise history to be selected to multiple Pro Bowls, earning the nod in both 2023 and 2024, while setting the single-season franchise record for completion percentage and passer rating a year ago. In 2024, he became the fourth player in NFL history to record a season with 4,000+ passing yards, 40+ touchdowns and a 70% or higher completion rate, joining Drew Brees (2011), Joe Burrow (2024) and Aaron Rodgers (2020). Mayfield was selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft, leading the franchise to their first playoff victory in 2020.
Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts This Year:
In 2025, Mayfield expanded upon his already extensive community work. Through the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation, he has established programming designed to provide opportunities for the next generation while also working to better the Tampa community. This past May, the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation announced the "Walk-On Scholarship" for walk-on student athletes like Mayfield was back in his college days. The foundation has since awarded two $10,000 scholarships to active walk-on student athletes, renewable for up to three additional years for each eligible recipient. To aid local charities, Mayfield and his foundation created the 2025 Giving Bowl this past March. A bracket-style fundraising competition, Mayfield joined forces with five other Tampa Bay athletes for a three-round social media challenge, seeing athletes go head-to-head over the course of three weeks to raise funds for a variety of nonprofits. In total, the Giving Bowl raised $92,500 for five local charities, including a $50,000 donation to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, a local nonprofit that provides 24/7 support and services for individuals facing emotional, physical, or situational crises in the Tampa Bay area. In support of the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County, the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation hosted their annual "Be the Ball" fundraising event in August, raising over $250,000 to help provide enhanced learning experiences for children throughout the Tampa Bay area. This holiday season, Mayfield will continue his tradition of giving, set to host his annual Passing the Joy event, designed to spread holiday cheer and support local families in need. Each year, alongside his wife Emily, Mayfield spends an afternoon with nearly 100 underserved kids at a local youth center, playing games and delivering gifts for each child. In addition, each child also receives a gift card meant for them to pass along to someone special in their life to continue passing the joy.
Dedication & Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past:
At every stop along his journey, Mayfield has made it a priority to serve the local community. Upon his arrival in Tampa in 2023, Mayfield launched the Baker & Emily Mayfield Foundation alongside his wife Emily, hosting his first community event with their inaugural "Be the Ball" in Tampa before taking his first snap as a Buccaneer. In the last three years, this event has raised nearly $600,000 for the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County to empower the next generation and enhance early childhood learning. Through all of the work that he does, there is a consistent theme of helping others to overcome challenges, something he is no stranger to. A year ago, when Mayfield received word that a Florida high school would not have enough equipment for their football team to have a season, he stepped in to help, donating $17,900 for new shoulder pads and helmets to the Space Coast Vipers, located on the East Coast of Florida. This donation propelled the Vipers to make school history, with the school who once thought they would not be able to field a team for the 2024 season securing their first state title, winning the 2024 SSAA 1A State Championship. And when disaster struck the Tampa Bay area, Mayfield sprang into action. Following a devastating 2024 hurricane season, Mayfield donated $50,000 towards relief efforts to Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster relief organization. While Mayfield has been an active member of the Tampa Bay community since his arrival in 2023, his commitment to the community began long before. He began working with Meals on Wheels, a national nonprofit dedicated to providing seniors with nutritious meals by way of daily visits, in 2017 while at the University of Oklahoma, work he continues to this day. This past April, Mayfield and his wife Emily hosted the No Bogeys with Baker and Emily Mayfield Fundraiser' event in Oklahoma City, with all proceeds benefiting Meals on Wheels in Norman. During his time with the Cleveland Browns, Mayfield engrained himself in the community, hosting his annual Passing the Joy event at a local Boys & Girls Club each of his four seasons as a Brown, beginning with his rookie year in 2018. He is also an active volunteer with Special Olympics, the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
Positive Character & a Lifestyle of Giving Back:
Mayfield's career has been defined by his resilience and his ability to overcome challenges. One thing that has not wavered throughout his unconventional journey is his commitment to giving back, focusing on helping others overcome their own personal obstacles. His work focuses on helping individuals persevere and achieve success, despite difficult circumstances, something he is all too familiar with. It is no secret that Mayfield has faced his very own set of challenges throughout his career. However, through adversity he has shown the core of who he truly is, a man of integrity and humility steadfast in his commitment to give back. Since his arrival in Tampa, he has engrained himself both throughout the Buccaneers organization and in the community, putting together standout performances both on and off the field. He is an invaluable member of the Buccaneers locker room, someone who represents the best of the team and the National Football League and it is with great honor that we present him as our 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.
