Baker Mayfield kept the bigger picture in focus despite not having his best game in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 43-13 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon.

Mayfield has been playing in the league since 2018, going through his fourth season with the Buccaneers. He stands out as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, often helping Tampa Bay be in the mix for playoff contention.

However, the start to the 2026 season has been brutal for the squad. They have lost five of their first six games, being one of the worst performing teams in the league early on. It didn't help matters that Mayfield dislocated his thumb in Week 3, sidelining him for the next three games.

Mayfield returned in action this game, helping Tampa Bay get back on track with a dominant win over Carolina. While he didn't have a performance to write home about, the star quarterback had firm praise for the team winning as he valued that over his own results.

“We needed a victory no matter how it looked. … You don’t change the process just because of the results,” Mayfield said, per reporter Jenna Laine.

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