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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got one of the great bargains in franchise history in 2023 when they won an NFC South Division title with quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the way and playing on a one-year, $4 million contract.
The Buccaneers weren’t going to get that type of bargain and were forced to pay up, giving Mayfield a three-year, $100 million contract in March 2024. PFF’s Trevor Sikkema praised Tampa Bay for making the quick decision to bring Mayfield back, citing it in a July 11 article on the “Best 2024 NFL offseason decision by every NFC team.”
“Mayfield ran hot and cold through the first half of his first year with the Buccaneers,” Sikkema wrote. “But from Week 14 on, including the playoffs, he earned a 79.1 passing grade with 16 big-time throws and just nine turnover-worthy plays. The best-case scenario for both parties was always coming to terms on a new deal. Mayfield being back under center means the Buccaneers have a realistic shot at winning the division once again.”
Mayfield not only led the Buccaneers to an NFC South Division title, he had his best seasons as a pro with career highs of 4,044 passing yards and 28 touchdowns.
Mayfield Took Circuitous Path to Tampa Bay
Few quarterbacks in NFL history, if any, can claim a career arc similar to Mayfield’s.
He was the No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL draft after winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and throwing for 4,627 yards, 43 touchdowns and 6 interceptions as a senior.
Mayfield was a Day 1 starter and led the Browns from the nether regions of the NFL and into the playoffs by his third season, then was unceremoniously dumped so Cleveland could trade for Deshaun Watson and sign him to an NFL record, fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract after Mayfield battled injuries and went 6-8 as the starter in 2021.
Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers for a conditional fifth-round draft pick and went 1-5 as the starter before asking for his release. He spent the final part of the season as the starter for the Los Angeles Rams in place of Matthew Stafford, going 1-3.
After the Buccaneers were left scrambling following Tom Brady’s second retirement in 2023, Mayfield ended up being the best option. And they got him at a bargain-basement price.
Mayfield’s big payday with the Buccaneers came with $50 million guaranteed and has a potential out for Tampa Bay in 2025 that would result in a $43.1 million dead cap hit.
“Mayfield played on a one-year, ‘prove-it’ deal in 2023, where the ‘prove-it’ part could have spelled the end of his time as an NFL starter,” Sikkema wrote. “It wasn’t his best season, by the numbers, but it was enough to get him a three-year extension. His last four games of the year were the catalyst.”
Buccaneers May Have Gotten $100 Million Bargain
The Buccaneers bring back many of their starters from the 2023 team that went 9-8, won a third consecutive NFC South Division title and won a home playoff game against the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Theoretically, that makes him a Top 10 quarterback in the NFL but in 2024 he will be the 17th highest-paid player at his position in the NFL and could go further down the list with an anticipated contract extension for Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
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