Baker Mayfield has another franchise betting big on his future — and a chance to remind the Cleveland Browns what they gave up.
The former Browns quarterback has agreed to a three-year, $165 million extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The deal averages $55 million annually and settles his contract situation just before the regular season.
Mayfield had been entering the final year of the three-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2024. Negotiations stalled when training camp began, raising the possibility that he would play the season without a new agreement. Discussions were expected to resume after the season. Instead, Tampa Bay has answered its biggest long-term question before taking the field.
Mayfield earned that commitment by rebuilding his career with the Buccaneers. After arriving on a one-year deal in 2023, he helped Tampa Bay reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons. His best statistical year came in 2024, when he completed 71.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Last season brought a step back. Mayfield finished with 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as the Buccaneers went 8-9 and missed the postseason. Tampa Bay nevertheless decided it had seen enough to keep building around him.
Baker Mayfield Has Not Forgotten Browns Exit
Cleveland once envisioned a similar future with Mayfield. The Browns selected him No. 1 overall in 2018, and he helped deliver their first playoff victory in 26 years during the 2020 season. That breakthrough made the eventual split especially bitter.
Mayfield played through a left shoulder injury in 2021, but Cleveland ultimately chose to pursue Deshaun Watson. The Browns sent Houston a package including three first-round picks, committing to a different quarterback instead of giving Mayfield a long-term deal. Mayfield requested a trade and was eventually sent to Carolina in July 2022.
Mayfield has since established himself in Tampa Bay, but success has not erased his frustration with how Cleveland handled the breakup. In January, he took aim at former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski after a reporter characterized his Cleveland tenure as a failure.
“Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage,” Mayfield wrote on social media.
Stefanski now coaches the Atlanta Falcons, giving Mayfield two annual meetings with his former coach. His old team is also on the schedule.
Browns Will Face Baker Mayfield in Week 2
Cleveland visits Tampa Bay on September 20 for a Week 2 matchup at Raymond James Stadium. Given Mayfield’s public frustration, it is reasonable to expect the reunion to carry some extra motivation.
His January comments made clear that the departure still bothers him, and this will give him another opportunity to answer on the field.
Mayfield’s first meeting with Cleveland after the trade ended in disappointment. Starting for Carolina in the 2022 opener, he threw for 235 yards and a touchdown but lost 26-24 despite a late rally.
Mayfield has never faced off against Watson, who was the man to replace him in Cleveland. The deal has been a major swing and miss for the Browns, with Watson appearing in just 19 games since the 2022 trade.
Baker Mayfield Cashes In Ahead of Browns Reunion