Getty Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (left) and tackle Tristan Wirfs
It was not a cheap week for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We’re still three days ahead of the official opening of the NFL league season, which starts Wednesday at 4 p.m., and the Bucs have already committed more than $180 million to players in the near future. There is more spending yet to come, but so far, the Buccaneers have managed to keep the key parts of the band together. The latest addition: three years, $100 million for quarterback Baker Mayfield.
And the band sure appears to be excited to run things back in 2024. Perhaps most notable was the guy who is among the next in line to get a Buccaneers free-agent payday, left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who posted a reaction to the Mayfield news on Twitter/X.
“Now we go,” wrote Wirfs, who had developed a good rapport with Mayfield last year, above a GIF of John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell high-fiving.
Indeed, that’s the hope. The Buccaneers were one of the surprise teams from the 2023 season, overcoming a 4-7 start to finish 9-8 and earn a playoff spot as the NFC South champs. Once there, they KO’d the defending NFC champs, the Eagles, with a 32-9 drubbing.
Baker Mayfield Lands $100 Million
The news on Mayfield, who signed with Tampa around this time last year on a one-year, make-good contract worth $4 million, came from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, who said, “Sources say Baker Mayfield has agreed to a huge deal to stay in Tampa. That’s right, one year after betting on himself and really taking the best offer he could to be a starting quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers … Baker Mayfield has agreed to terms on a three-year, $100 million contract.
“My understanding is this could be worth a max value of $115 million, $50 million in total guarantees, $40 million fully guaranteed.”
The deal comes after Mayfield recorded 4,044 yards passing, the first 4,000-yard season of his career, as well as 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He had a quarterback rating of 94.6, and his 1.8% interception rate was the second-best of his career.
Other Buccaneers chimed in as Wirfs did.
“Another great day to be a Buccaneer,” linebacker Yaya Diaby wrote on Twitter/X.
“It’s UP!” running back Rachaad White wrote.
Even Buccaneers GM Jason Licht expressed his pleasure with a fist-pumping GIF of Kip from Napoleon Dynamite.
Buccaneers Spend Big Before Free Agency
The signing of Mayfield follows the franchise tagging of star safety Antoine Winfield, with the hope of a long-term deal to follow, as well as the two-year, $52 million contract given to star receiver Mike Evans.
Those deals assure that much of the core of the Bucs will be back next season. The team will try to sign Lavonte David for a return to Tampa, though former Pro Bowler Devin White is almost certainly headed elsewhere.
Wirfs is due an extension, and Spotrac projects him to earn $102 million over four years.
As for Evans, he said he is looking forward to remaining in Tampa for the remainder of his career.
“When you play for one team for so long, you obviously think about what it would be like playing for someone else,” Evans said, per SI.com. “And I have a lot of friends on other teams. And it was a cool dream, but Tampa is my home, and it’s where I’ve always wanted to be. We got a great deal — my agent got a great deal done with Jason — and I couldn’t pass up on it. I’m looking forward to being a Buc for life.”