Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baker Mayfield remains the starting quarterback, but CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards projects a QB selection in his 2027 mock draft. He posits that the Buccaneers select Minnesota quarterback Drake Lindsey with the 14th overall pick next year.
Edwards said, “Baker Mayfield has not received a contract extension at this time, which means Tampa Bay does not have its starter on the books for 2027. Drake Lindsey is not as refined as Fernando Mendoza was coming out of California, but there is a lot to like about the way he processes the field.”
Until the Buccaneers extend Mayfield, expect speculation to exist that they may move in another direction. Mayfield enters the final year of his contract, and the Buccaneers say they want to keep the veteran quarterback.
Mayfield’s 2026 Season Determines Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2027 Offseason Goals
GettyBaker Mayfield’s play on the field this season will determine if the Buccaneers extend his contract.
Despite the verbal commitment to Mayfield, the Buccaneers may want to wait until after the season to extend his contract. Recently, Tampa Bay’s passing game coordinator TJ Yates commented on some of Mayfield’s poor tendencies. Those quotes perhaps echo some concerns within the Buccaneer’s organization about Mayfield long term.
Yates said, “You don’t see [quarterbacks who play like Mayfield] very often these days in the league, and it’s so awesome to see. And you know [Mayfield’s style of play] does have its detriments at some point, because you don’t want him to get hurt, you don’t want to get dinged up.”
Even though Mayfield has yet to miss a start for Tampa Bay, he’s had several injuries during his Buccaneers tenure. In 2025, he dealt with injuries in both his shoulder and bicep. In the 2023-24 season, Mayfield played through both ankle and rib injuries.
Without a contract extension, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still leave 2027 as a possible year to select a quarterback. Their 2026 offseason suggests they believe they can win now with Mayfield, but organizations typically approach quarterback contracts with caution.
Drake Lindsey Prospect Profile
GettyDrake Lindsey enters his second year as the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Gophers.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plan on drafting a quarterback in 2027, it’s important to keep track of Lindsey’s profile. Lindsey enters his second year starting as the quarterback for the Minnesota Gophers. In his first full year under center, he threw for 2382 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions in 13 games. He also had a completion percentage of 63.2%.
Outside of Edwards, there exists consistent hype for Lindsey’s 2027 draft prospects. Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports also listed Lindsey 24th overall in his way too early big board.
Tice said, “Lindsey is the classic quarterback archetype of the big-armed pocket passer in the vein of Drew Bledsoe. Listed at 6-5 and 230 pounds, Lindsey is willing and able to stand and deliver the football in the (constantly) muddy pockets he has to deal with behind Minnesota’s offensive line. Despite his size, he has a quick delivery, is a solid athlete, and has clean footwork to throw on the move or after turning his back to the defense (he has a good amount of reps already from under center). He’s still young as a redshirt sophomore, so he might still be a year away, but Lindsey is definitely one to keep an eye on as a potential riser.”
As of right now, its difficult seeing how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB situation will play out for 2027. However, it seems Mayfield’s play this coming season determines if they will extend his contract.
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