Baker Mayfield has no doubts about his team.
Now, the Buccaneers quarterback is trying to at least warn the rest of the league and the non-believer pundits.
Mayfield spoke to reporters Tuesday and said he believes Tampa Bay will “shock” some people this season.
“I think we’re going to shock a lot of people this year,” Mayfield told reporters after a practice session. “I’m excited to just get on the road and do that.”
The two-time Pro Bowler and the Buccaneers disappointed last season, finishing 8-9 and missing out on the playoffs by virtue of losing a tiebreaker with the Panthers.
Mayfield, playing in all 17 games, threw for 3,693 yards — an 807-yard drop-off from his 2024 season — while his completion rate fell from 71.4 percent two seasons ago to 63.2 percent in 2025.
Head coach Todd Bowles cleaned house after the offseason, dismissing five assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.
The Bucs hired Zac Robinson to fill the OC void in hopes of turning things in the right direction this season.
Mayfield believes that even with changes coming for Tampa Bay (including the addition of running back Kenneth Gainwell), he’s not so certain people outside of the building will have belief in this new version of the club.
“You can’t avoid it. The TVs everywhere… everyone is probably gonna pick us to have a losing record this year,” Mayfield said. “We’ll see.”
The Bucs saw the departure of franchise mainstay wideout Mike Evans in free agency, which means Mayfield will likely have second-year receiver Emeka Egbuka as his No. 1 target this season.
Egbuka burst onto the scene with 63 receptions for 938 yards during his rookie campaign.
Mayfield brimming with confidence is not anything new for the former Heisman Trophy winner. At the end of July, as he told reporters about feeling “disrespected” over not yet getting a new contract, added that big things are in store for him this year.
“If you’ve waited this long to pay your franchise quarterback, it’s only going to get worse. … I’m going to have a big year,” Mayfield said.
