Story by
Ashlie Abrahams, Buccaneers Wire
Wed, July 15, 2026 at 11:14 AM UTC·2 min read
For much of the 2025 season, it was clear Baker Mayfield wasn’t playing his best football down the stretch. His production dipped, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense became more inconsistent, and questions began to surface about what had caused such a dramatic change after a strong start to the year
Netflix’s Quarterback has now provided those answers
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The series revealed that Mayfield battled through a lengthy list of injuries for much of the season, beginning as early as Week 2. According to the documentary, the Buccaneers quarterback suffered injuries to both his PCL and MCL that lingered throughout the year, significantly limiting his mobility while he continued to suit up every week. The series also revealed Mayfield suffered a bicep bruise against the New York Jets before later dealing with an AC joint injury in his shoulder as the season wore on.
Rather than missing games, the veteran quarterback continued playing through the pain in an effort to keep Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes alive
The Netflix series helps paint a much clearer picture of why Mayfield’s second half looked so different from the first. Early in the season, Mayfield was moving well <a href="https://comicvibe.com/inside-the-latest-round-of-mass-layoffs-at-xbox/” title=”Inside the latest round of mass layoffs at Xbox”>inside and outside the pocket, extending plays and attacking defenses downfield with confidence. As the injuries piled up, that mobility noticeably declined. Escaping pressure became more difficult, and the offense struggled to consistently generate explosive plays
Those injuries also came as the Buccaneers dealt with a revolving door along the offensive line. Multiple starters missed time throughout the season, forcing Tampa Bay to shuffle its protection schemes while Mayfield attempted to play through knee and shoulder injuries. Rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka was also slowed by hamstring and groin injuries late in the year, leaving the offense far from full strength
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Despite all of that, Mayfield refused to come off the field. His toughness has never been questioned throughout his NFL career, and Quarterback only reinforces that reputation. While the statistics from the second half of the season may not have matched his early-season production, the documentary shows there was far more happening behind the scenes than most fans realized
As Mayfield enters the 2026 season healthy, the Buccaneers will be hoping the injuries are finally behind him. If that’s the case, Tampa Bay could once again get the version of Mayfield that had the offense firing on all cylinders before his body began to break down
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Netflix series reveals the extent of Baker Mayfield’s 2025 injuries
