This week, the NFL began its sixth week revealing players in the “NFL Top 100.” This week, players 41-50 will be revealed. On Monday, a player the Arizona Cardinals will face in the back half of this coming season came in at No. 50.
Player No. 50 is Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. He was not in the top 100 in 2024.
Mayfield led the Bucs to the playoffs for the second straight year, winning the NFC South, giving the Bucs five straight playoff appearances.
Advertisement
He had his best season in 2024, completing 71.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
He was third in the NFL in passing yards, third in completion percentage and second in touchdown passes. He also led the NFL in interceptions.
“The ultimate teammate,” said running back Rachaad White, Mayfield’s teammate.
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon, No. 58 in the top 100, said Mayfield “wakes up, like he says, feeling dangerous.”
He is the closest thing to Brett Favre this generation has seen.
He is a gamer, an incredible competitor. He “can make some crazy plays,” according to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
Advertisement
Saints safety J.T. Gray said Mayfield has “a Superman ability.”
However, he has never beaten the Cardinals. He is 0-3 against the Cardinals and Kyler Murray, his old buddy at Oklahoma.
The Cardinals have a six-game stretch to end the 2025 regular season with four games against 2024 division winners and two teams that just missed the playoffs last season. That stretch opens in Week 13 with the Bucs on the road.
Can Murray and the Cardinals keep Mayfield winless against them one more time? We will see.
‘NFL Top 100’ opponents for Cardinals in 2025
Of the players in the top 100 revealed as of this week, the Cardinals face the following:
Advertisement
QB Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 50)
OLB Jared Verse, LA Rams (No. 53)
RB Joe Mixon, Houston Texans (No. 58)
QB Matthew Stafford, LA Rams (No. 59)
RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons (No. 62)
DE Josh Hines-Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 63)
RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (No. 73)
DE Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers (No. 80)
RB Kyren Williams, LA Rams (No. 85)
LB Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 96)
DL Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks (No. 99)
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals to face No. 50 in ‘NFL Top 100’ in 2025