Archer was drafted by the Cleveland Indians but was later traded to the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He made his Major League debut in 2012 and became a permanent fixture in the Rays' rotation a year later. In 2015, despite having a losing record of 12-13, Archer had his best season. He fanned 253 batters, which placed him second in the American League. His 3.23 ERA was good enough for fifth place, and he also attained fifth place in Cy Young voting and added his first All-Star.
Although Archer never duplicated his 2015 season, he remained a top flamethrower despite his losing record. He led the league in losses in 2016 (19) but had 233 strikeouts. He had 249 strikeouts in 2017, which was also his second and final All-Star game. However, Archer's peak was over as he began accumulating injuries. He was later traded to Pittsburgh in 2018, where he suffered from thoracic outlet syndrome and missed the entire 2020 season. When he returned, he was ineffective, and although Tampa resigned him, more injuries were compiled, and he was only able to play six games in 2021. Minnesota gave him a shot, but that only lasted a year.
Archer's record was 63-89 with 1,454 strikeouts.