The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might find out, pretty quickly, that the grass isn’t always greener if they don’t hand quarterback Baker Mayfield a contract extension sooner rather than later.
The longer the Buccaneers wait to extend Mayfield, the more the odds go up that they might end up paying through the teeth for him in 2027.
If Mayfield performs well, the Buccaneers run the risk of costing themselves a massive amount more money than if they pay him right now.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox called re-signing Mayfield the “One Move” the Buccaneers need to make before the season.
“While he isn’t worth top-of-the-market money, Mayfield is perfect for the Bucs and deserving of a second-tier contract — likely in the range of the $44 million-per-year deal Daniel Jones just signed,” Knox wrote. “If the Bucs don’t extend Mayfield this offseason, they risk seeing that second-tier price range jump as QBs like Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud sign new deals.”
Mayfield is in the final season of a 3-year, $100 million contract he signed before the 2024 season. Getting him on a 2-year, $88 million contract like the 1 Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones signed in March might be a genius move.
In the case Mayfield were to do something extraordinary, that price could leap up to $50 million to $55 million per year. Those are savings the Buccaneers can’t afford to turn their backs on.
Baker Mayfield’s Next Contract Could Top $150M
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti predicts the Buccaneers will look past Mayfield’s main weakness — late-game decision making — and pay up before the season starts.
In Ginnitti’s model, Mayfield has a top-end value of a 4-year, $215 million contract at $53.75 million per year, but he predicts the offer will come in at a 3-year, $155 million extension before training camp starts.
“Baker didn’t match the magic of 2024 this past season, but he’s shown more than enough to warrant a few more guaranteed years at a pay level more commensurate to his production,” Ginnitti wrote. “$55M per year seems to be the going rate for this type of player these days.”
2027 NFL Draft Will Be Stacked With Quarterbacks
For the Buccaneers, paying Mayfield now seems like the smartest move — stabilize the most important position on the field, and if he ends up playing at a Pro Bowl level again as he did in 2023 and 2024.
Besides that, the 2027 NFL draft will be stacked with quarterbacks front to back and could very well break the record for most quarterbacks taken in the 1st round — 6 quarterbacks each in the 1983 and 2024 drafts.
So, even if the Buccaneers pay Mayfield now and he underperforms in 2026 — which isn’t likely with a healthy offensive line — it doesn’t preclude them from taking any number of quarterbacks in the 1st round in 2027.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht addressed his quarterback’s future on the 1st day of the annual NFL owners meetings in March, telling AP NFL Reporter Rob Maadi he wants Mayfield with the Buccaneers for the foreseeable future.
“Baker is a true pro,” Licht said. “He’s a leader for this team. We love Baker. Baker is still our quarterback. He’s one of the toughest guys on the team. He’s a great leader. Everything kind of revolves around the quarterback spot. At some point, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. There’s no timetable on that.”
Insider: Bucs QB Baker Mayfield Deserves ‘Second Tier’ Contract