There have been discussions about Baker Mayfield’s dissatisfaction with his current contract situation with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That has sparked some rumors that the New York Jets could pursue the talented passer.
Before they potentially go down that road, ESPN’s Rich Cimini explained on the “Jets Collective” podcast why that would be a huge mistake.
“I think that would be a mistake for the Jets to do that; that is my own personal feeling. I know Jets fans want him, [but] I don’t think they would do something like that, I mean, he wants $50 million a year, he’s not a $50 million a year quarterback. He is 31 years old. I looked over the last two years, and I think he ranks 13th in QBR. So you’re talking about a quarterback who is probably in that 12 to 16 range in terms of the pecking order of the starting quarterbacks. I just wouldn’t do it,” Cimini explained on the podcast.
“First of all, he will probably get franchised. If he has a good year, he will be franchised, and the Bucs will probably re-sign him to a long-term deal. If he doesn’t have a good year and maybe they franchise him to try and do a tag-and-trade, [but] do you really want him then if he’s coming off a bad year? So I just have major problems with that,” Cimini added.
“I think that would be a mistake for the Jets to do that; that is my own personal feeling. I know Jets fans want him, I don’t think they would do something like that, I mean, he wants $50 million a
Laying Down the Ground Rules
While this is a topic in 2026, this conversation is really about 2027. There is no way the Buccaneers would trade Mayfield in 2026. Bucs head coach Todd Bowles is on the hot seat. They have no other viable plan at quarterback if they move on from Mayfield.
However, the reason why this conversation is happening now is because of the contract drama. Mayfield set a self-imposed deadline of the start of training camp to get a deal done with the Bucs. If it didn’t happen by then, Mayfield was cutting off negotiations and would revisit things next offseason.
That is exactly what transpired. Mayfield held a presser at the beginning of camp where he explained that he felt “disrespected” and “undervalued” by the Bucs.
He is heading into the last year of his $100 million contract. Mayfield is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2027.
Insider Explains That the Jets Would Be Veering off Course
“It’s not the Jets’ plan. If you take on a 32-year-old quarterback, sign him to a four-year $200 million contract, you’re blowing up your entire financial structure after a couple of years of carefully plotting all this cap room and building through the draft. They’re going to have over $100 million in cap room. Everything has been methodically planned out to try to draft a quarterback. and drop him into what they hope is a really strong supporting cast. If you go out and get Baker, that changes all of those plans,” Cimini explained on the “Jets Collective” podcast.
Plans change. The Jets might not be in a position to draft a young quarterback in 2027. If there are three quarterbacks in this class and the top three teams in the draft all need a quarterback, the Jets will be insert expletive out of luck.
“They just did this with Aaron Rodgers. [When you] get someone else’s quarterback, it often doesn’t work. To quote [Bill] Parcells, ‘How many times do you have to get hit in the face with a skunk before you realize it stinks?’ So I think that would be a major mistake to go down that road. If he’s such a good quarterback, why aren’t the Bucs signing him now? They know him better than anyone. They know the warts, they know the strengths, they know everything about Baker Mayfield, and yet they’re reluctant to give him what he wants. What does that tell you?” Cimini asked.
Rodgers didn’t work out with the Jets, but it wasn’t a bad swing. Who knows what Rodgers would have been able to accomplish if his Achilles hadn’t exploded in 2023? That’ll forever be a watercooler topic for Jets fans at your local watering hole.
Jets Warned to Avoid Going After Bucs QB Baker Mayfield