Bucs' Baker Mayfield Talks 2025 NFL Expectations, Emeka Egbuka, More in B/R Interview

Bad news for Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers fans.

Baker Mayfield isn't interested in letting the NFC South race continue into the final weeks of the upcoming 2025 season.

"A lot more wins," the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback told Bleacher Report when discussing what would make the season a success. "We're trying to close out the division early on instead of getting down to the last few weeks like it was in 2023 and 2024."

Mayfield may want more wins than the nine from 2023 and 10 from 2024, but Tampa Bay is in an excellent place heading into his third season with the team considering all the question marks that were circling the franchise after the 2022 campaign when he first joined the fold.

After all, Tom Brady had just retired and the Buccaneers were coming off a losing record in 2022. They were looking for answers under center, and they initially took a one-year flier on Mayfield.

The No. 1 pick of the 2018 NFL draft also had some question marks of his own after an up-and-down first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and a 2-8 record as a starter for the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams in his fifth year.

But he answered those questions in resounding fashion and earned himself a multiyear deal by setting career-highs in passing yards (4,044) and passing touchdowns (28) in his first season with Tampa Bay. He also made his first Pro Bowl and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs.

Yet Mayfield was even better in 2024 as he completed 71.4 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. While the interception total was surely higher than he wanted, he set career-highs in completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns as he led the Buccaneers to another NFC South title.

Tampa Bay may have been in a position to sneak up on teams at the start of Mayfield's tenure, but that is no longer the case after his back-to-back Pro Bowl efforts and division crowns. That means there is now a target on the team's back at the start of a new season, but that won't alter the focus from within.

"It doesn't change our approach," Mayfield said. "No matter the outside expectations, you have to set the standard within the building. We have great leadership in this locker room. There are great guys around me who understand the ultimate goal is the Super Bowl. Even though we've had some success the last couple years, it's not what we really want. We're still striving to be better and better."

One thing that will help the Buccaneers be "better and better" is the addition of first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka.

All Egbuka did during his collegiate career was win a national championship and become Ohio State's all-time leading receiver with 2,868 receiving yards in the process. His combination of route-running, speed and hands when making contested catches made him a nightmare matchup and surely caught the eye of Tampa Bay's front office.

It may have been a surprise to some when the NFC South club added a first-round receiver to a group that already includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan, but depth was needed since Godwin is recovering from a significant ankle injury he suffered last year.

Egbuka is also accustomed to shining even when he isn't the go-to option, as evidenced by his time with the Buckeyes that saw him team up with Jeremiah Smith, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson at times.

"He's a stud," Mayfield said of his newest weapon, who scored an impressive touchdown in Saturday's preseason game. "Overall with rookies, normally their heads spin a little bit. You can see they're thinking a lot. But he's just an intelligent and bright kid who is wise beyond his years. He's just a smart guy and great for the locker room."

Ideally for Tampa Bay, Mayfield and Egbuka will score plenty of touchdowns this year.

That would also be ideal for fans since Mayfield touchdowns will mean free chicken wings this season thanks to Popeyes' "Better Wings, Better Mayfield" campaign. Starting Sept. 4, fans will receive a free six-piece wings with any $10 digital order on the Popeyes app or online whenever Mayfield scores a touchdown.

"I might have to work that in there," he said when asked if that means there will be a wings-inspired touchdown celebration. "It's fun whenever you can get everybody involved and feel like they're a part of it. We'll see what we can do on the celebration aspect."

The campaign is part of Popeyes' launch of a new wings lineup that includes its three best-selling sauce flavors of Signature Hot, Sweet 'N Spicy and Honey BBQ, as well as four new dry rubs of ghost pepper, lemon pepper, garlic parm and buffalo.

"I've always been a fan of Popeyes," Mayfield said while revealing ghost pepper is his favorite from the new choices. "From my days traveling to play baseball in Austin, there was only one restaurant on the way over there, and it was Popeyes. Whether it was post-practice or post-game, we'd always stop on the way home. So I have childhood ties and memories that made this pretty unique."

Those fans looking for more touchdowns as part of the campaign should take solace knowing Tampa Bay's new offensive coordinator is a familiar face for the veteran quarterback.

The Buccaneers promoted Josh Grizzard to the role after Liam Coen left to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Grizzard worked with Coen as the team's pass game coordinator in 2024.

All Tampa Bay did last season with Grizzard working on that aerial attack was finish third in the league with 250.4 passing yards per game. He also served as an assistant for the Miami Dolphins for seven years prior to joining the Buccaneers. 

"Him being a part of all our quarterback meetings last year and a huge part of the passing game aspect is huge," Mayfield said of the new OC. "When you keep someone in-house like that, you get the continuity. Nothing exactly translates from one year to the next, that's just how it works.

But we have continuity and chemistry with the guys, especially with the terminology since everyone doesn't have to learn a new system even though there are some minor tweaks. Grizz has done a great job with that stuff to help make it easier. But we're still going to rely on the run game and Mike Evans."

When you're the quarterback of an offense that features Evans, Bucky Irving, Egbuka and more, there's no reason to make significant changes in pursuit of a third straight division title. 

And if everything goes according to plan in Tampa Bay, there won't be any changes atop the NFC South standings either.