No Tom Brady? No problem: Baker Mayfield gets $1 million bonus after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cruise to victory over the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South

In a year when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were expected to struggle after Tom Brady announced his retirement, Baker Mayfield has seamlessly transitioned into the role of starting quarterback.

Mayfield guided the Buccaneers to another playoff berth by winning the NFC South – a feat they accomplished Sunday afternoon.

With an easy 9-0 victory over the Carolina Panthers, Mayfield had officially led Tampa Bay to the playoffs.

In the process, he earned himself a cool $1 million bonus for making the postseason.

Mayfield, one of the favorites to win Comeback Player of the Year, has been strong for Tampa Bay this season.

By beating Carolina 9-0 on Sunday afternoon, the Buccaneers won the NFC South

That earns the Buccaneers a playoff spot and earns Mayfield a $1 million bonus

“I've been through a lot over the years,” Mayfield said after the game. “Just trusting God's plan and seeing where it takes me, and this is the most fun I've had playing football in a long time.

“I can't say enough about the organization I'm with now and I'm grateful that we still have another week to see what happens in the playoffs and I'm so happy about that.

“We're going to enjoy this and see what we have next week.”

He struggled to stay in the league last year after being dumped from the Carolina Panthers and put in charge of a lackluster Los Angeles Rams team.

But in 2023, Mayfield finished in the top ten in the league for passing yards and throwing for 28 touchdowns – tied for fourth in the NFL.

His passer rating is eighth in the league among quarterbacks who have started at least 15 games.

Now Mayfield and the Buccaneers look to host a playoff game at Raymond James Stadium.

According to the results at the time of publication, the most likely team to play Tampa Bay is the Philadelphia Eagles.