Top Five Passing Yardage Careers in Bucs History | 50 Seasons

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will compete in their 50th season this fall, as the NFL’s 27th franchise began play in 1976. The first half century of Buccaneer action was filled with memorable moments, most notably a pair of Super Bowl championships, one in the 2002 season and one in the 2020 campaign. Most recently, the Buccaneers have compiled five straight playoff seasons and four straight NFC South Division titles, both franchise records. No team has ever won the NFC South five years in a row, so the Bucs can chase even more history in Season 50.

As we celebrate the Buccaneers’ 50th season this year with a look back at the past 49 seasons plus a glimpse at the what he next 50 may hold, we are highlighting some of the best games, seasons and careers in franchise history. Today, our focus is on the most prolific passers to don a Buccaneer uniform. Specifically, we’re highlighting the five men who have the most career passing yards for Tampa Bay, a list that includes four players drafted in the first round by the Buccaneers and one who was perhaps the most dramatic free agency signing in league history.

Until recently, franchise icon and Ring of Honor member Doug Williams was on this top-five list, but now he’s at number six. Rounding out the top 10 are Brad Johnson, Steve DeBerg, Baker Mayfield and Craig Erickson. Mayfield is the only one who can still add to his passing yardage total, and since he’s under contract for at least the next two years and is at the helm of one of the NFL’s most prolific passing attacks, he’s got an excellent chance to shake up the top five in a major way. More on that below.

The Five Buccaneers with the Most Passing Yards in Franchise History

1. Jameis Winston, 19,737 yards, 2015-19

Winston was the first-overall pick in the 2015 draft and a starter from Day One of his rookie campaign, so even though he only played out one contract in Tampa, he saw enough action in a robust passing environment to not only break the team’s previous record but put a lot of distance between himself and number two on the list.

Winston started every game in his first two seasons and surpassed 4,000 passing yards in both of them. At the time, there had only been one previous 4,000-yard season in franchise history. He missed 10 games over the 2017-18 campaigns, three on a suspension and some while ceding starts back and forth with Ryan Fitzpatrick, but he still threw for a combined 6,496 yards in those two…