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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could offer Baker Mayfield a similar deal to the one the Seattle Seahawks offered to Geno Smith.
As reported by CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the Buccaneers could offer Mayfield — who is a free agent this offseason — to a deal slightly more than the three-year, $75 million deal that the Seahawks signed Smith to last offseason.
“It’s possible, if not likely, the Buccaneers would value Mayfield more than any other NFL team,” writes Jones. “But that doesn’t mean they can lowball him and run the risk of disrespecting the quarterback. A reasonable starting point, according to league sources, would be a tick above Geno Smith’s three-year, $75 million deal with Seattle last year that allowed for a Seahawks out after one season.”
Why Baker Mayfield is Due to Earn Pay Raise and Multi-Year Deal
The Seahawks’ deal with Smith allows for a potential out that would see Seattle absorb a dead cap hit of $17.4 million this season while saving $13.8 million.
Mayfield is coming off of arguably the best season of his career. The 28-year-old revived his career in his first season in Tampa after being on the roster of three different teams during the calendar year of 2022. The former No. 1 overall pick threw for a career-high 28 touchdowns, 4,044 passing yards and 364 completions while clinching his first Pro Bowl bid. He also finished third in Comeback Player of the Year voting.
As Jones mentions, offering more on the average annual value or more guaranteed money could make it even more enticing for Mayfield to return to the Buccaneers.
“Either juicing up the average-annual-value or the guaranteed money would help position the deal as a win for Mayfield, who is coming off a playoff victory for Tampa Bay,” says Jones.
According to Spotrac, Mayfield’s market value is $27.1 million per season across four years for a total of $108.5 million. The projected average annual value is essentially in line with what Jones is reporting, but it would be one extra year of commitment.
Why Signs Point Towards Buccaneers Re-Signing Baker Mayfield
The Buccaneers should be considered the favorites to re-sign Mayfield as both sides have expressed an interest to run it back. Mayfield led Tampa Bay to a division title and a playoff victory despite the Buccaneers entering the season with low expectations following Tom Brady’s retirement.
Mayfield discussed the topic of returning to the Buccaneers during a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
“Obviously, Tampa’s got … the upper hand because I’ve seen it firsthand, so for me, just evaluating that,” said Mayfield on February 9. “Understanding where I’m headed in life right now. … I want to win, and that’s really important to me to be able to have a chance to win Super Bowls. …”
Another factor that may play a role in how Mayfield re-signs for is if star wide receiver Mike Evans returns to Tampa Bay. Evans will also be a free agent and Mayfield discussed making a potential financial “sacrifice” to bring his top receiver back.
“I hope so. If I’m back, hope so.” Mayfield continued. “I think there would be some sacrifice along the way,” Mayfield responded. “There’s mutual benefit for us to come back together.”
While there aren’t many quality free agent quarterbacks available outside of Mayfield — Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill are the others — there also isn’t a high number of contending teams looking to sign a veteran quarterback to be its starter.
Barring something unexpected, it’s almost a given that Mayfield will return to the Buccaneers. The question is, how much will he re-sign for?
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