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The Bucs' nightmare scenario for the 2026 season involves Baker Mayfield regressing, leading to a continuation of their disappointing 2-7 finish from 2025. This situation could jeopardize his future with the team as he approaches free agency in 2027.
The Bucs 2025 campaign started with a ton of promise. They started the season 6-2 with a win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. They went into their Bye Week with the expectation they would rest up and come out of it ready for a tough slate of games but would finish the season 2-7 after the break and lose their division title. Not many things could be seen as much more of a worst-case scenario for the Bucs, but what could be worse in 2026?
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon laid out the worst-case scenario for every NFL team, including the Bucs. For Tampa Bay, it centers around a duo of things that could unfold.
Gagnon writes, "Baker Mayfield regresses, indicating that his decline in 2025 wasn't simply a down year, and the Bucs pick up where they left off with a 2-7 run to close out the 2025 campaign."
Baker Mayfield is heading into a critical year on multiple fronts, perhaps the biggest being on paper, literally. He is set to be a free agent in 2027, and Jason Licht and the rest of the Bucs front office remain steadfast in him sticking around for the foreseeable future. However, if the team falters out of the gate, that may not be the case.
Albeit, it would need him to really fall out of the gate. But crazier things have happened.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: The Bucs worst case for 2026 centers around the play of Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield's regression could stem from a continuation of poor performance, similar to the decline seen in the latter part of the 2025 season.
The Bucs finished the 2025 season with a record of 2-7 after their Bye Week.
Baker Mayfield is set to become a free agent in 2027, and his performance in 2026 will significantly influence whether the Bucs decide to keep him.
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