Baker Mayfield Applauded by NFL Fans Despite Buccaneers' 2024 Playoff Loss to Lions

Baker Mayfield changed the narrative surrounding his career in the 2023 season, even if it ended in disappointment.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback kept his team in Sunday's Divisional Round matchup against the Detroit Lions, throwing for three touchdown passes. But it was his interception in the waning moments of a 31-23 loss, as the Bucs were attempting to drive for a potential game-tying touchdown, that ultimately ended his team's season.

Mayfield finished 26-of-41 for 349 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, taking four sacks.

Even the first interception wasn't really has fault, as it deflected off the hands of the usually reliable Mike Evans.

Evans mostly made up for that gaffe, catching eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown.

Mayfield had a chance for an epic afternoon, but his inability to lead the team down the field with the game on the line will sting. The Lions sent a number of disguised blitzes and mixed coverages at him all afternoon and clearly fooled him on the game-deciding interception.

Still, the general consensus from NFL fans and pundits alike on social media after the game was that Mayfield still had an excellent season and was quite the redemption story:

It will be fascinating to see what Mayfield's future holds. He's still just 28 years old and is fresh off of leading the Bucs to the playoffs after throwing for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season.

It's possible that he earned himself a nice contract, either with Tampa Bay or one of the NFL's quarterback-needy teams this offseason. It's fair to question whether Mayfield has the overall upside to lead a team to a title, but he absolutely has the ability to be an above-average starter at the NFL level.

He proved that this season, even if he probably wishes he could have that last throw back.