FOX Sports Digital
It is rare for a starting quarterback to hit the free-agent market, but the ongoing impasse between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield could make the former No. 1 overall pick a hot commodity when the free-agent carousel starts spinning in 2027. After earning consecutive Pro Bowl selections with Tampa Bay, while producing a pair of 4,000-yard seasons and guiding the club to back-to-back division titles in 2023-24, Mayfield has been unable to secure the long-term deal he covets as a franchise quarterback. Although the Bucs are likely slow-playing the negotiations to gauge the quarterback market, with Lamar Jackson and others also awaiting contract extensions, the financial tug-of-war between Tampa Bay and Mayfield is a different discussion. What Is Mayfield Worth? Unlike Jackson, who should command a contract that averages $60 million-plus annually as a two-time MVP who has consistently ranked as a top-five quarterback, the veteran should target a deal that puts him in the "$50 Million Club" based on his résumé compared to Dak Prescott (four-year, $240 million), Trevor Lawrence (five-year, $275 million), Jordan Love (four-year, $220 million), Brock Purdy (five-year, $265 million), Tua Tagovailoa (four-year, $212.4 million) and Jared Goff (four-year, $212 million). Considering each of those quarterbacks signed their deals within the past two years, while posting numbers that are in Mayfield’s range, the 31-year-old gunslinger has enough leverage to stand firm on a contract extension that pays him like a top-10 QB. As a late-blooming star who played on a "prove-it" deal in 2023 valued at $8.5 million before signing a three-year, $100 million contract in 2024, Mayfield has far outproduced his contract. He has started every regular-season and postseason game for the Bucs since 2023, while posting a 66.3% completion rate with 95 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. Additionally, he has compiled a 97.4 passer rating, a 27-24 record, and a pair of division titles during that span. Given that his success has come with a revolving door of offensive coordinators (Dave Canales, 2023; Liam Coen, 2024; and Josh Grizzard, 2025), Mayfield has shown the football world that he is more than a game manager propped up by a creative playcaller. From his significant improvement in completion rate (64.3% to 71.4%), touchdowns (28 to 41), and passer rating (94.6 to 106.8) from his first to second year in Tampa Bay, to his ability to survive with injuries to his playmakers and protectors around him, Mayfield oozes franchise quarterback vibes when he is in a Buccaneers’ uniform. He has orchestrated eight game-winning drives during his tenure, including four in 2025 with a banged-up offensive lineup. Considering Mayfield played through an assortment of injuries last season that compromised his ability to play to his standard, the Buccaneers shouldn't downplay his talent, toughness and winning pedigree. Mayfield was on the team’s injury report for 10 of 18 weeks — he recently revealed he suffered a sprained MCL and PCL in his right knee in Week 2 — yet did not miss a single game. For the first...
