Baker Mayfield is about to join the 50 million dollar per year quarterback club. If the Buccaneers do not close the deal before July 28, they might not get a chance to close it at all.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported this week that 50 million per year is the “benchmark” for Mayfield’s expected extension. That is what the Bucs are working with. That is what Mayfield’s camp is asking for. And that number is right in line with where the market has settled for the second tier of NFL quarterbacks.
Let’s be honest about what Mayfield is at this point. He is not Patrick Mahomes. He is not Josh Allen. He is a legitimate top 10 to 12 quarterback in the league, and he has been for three straight seasons in Tampa Bay.
Two Pro Bowls. A playoff win in his first year with the Bucs. Real production last year even in a down season. 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, 11 interceptions. Numbers that put him firmly in the tier that gets paid.
The benchmark makes sense. Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, Brock Purdy, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts are all above 50 million per year. Mahomes and Dak Prescott are above 60 million. If Mayfield gets 50, he slots in at exactly where his production and leadership belong.
The Bucs would be smart to lock this in now. The QB market only goes up. Every year, a new deal resets the top, and the next one is coming when Justin Herbert or Lamar Jackson renegotiate. If Tampa waits until 2027, they will be looking at 55 to 60 million per year for the same player.
There is also the leverage question. Mayfield’s current three year, 100 million deal expires after the 2026 season. If he plays out this year without an extension, he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the exact moment when several teams will have massive cap space and no answer at quarterback. Denver, Cleveland, New Orleans, the Giants: all are in the market for a real QB. Mayfield would clean up.
Mayfield has already hinted that he does not want to negotiate during the season. If the deal is not done by the time veterans report to camp on July 28, both sides go quiet. That is when this gets interesting.
Last month, Mayfield told reporters he had some doubts about his long term future with the Buccaneers. That was a signal. It was also a negotiating tactic. He wanted Tampa to know he could walk if the numbers were not right.
The Buccaneers have to decide how much they trust him. He has been the best thing about Tampa since Tom Brady retired. He is the veteran who steadies a young receiver room. He is the guy who wins the locker room. Bruce Arians is not walking through that door. Neither is Mike Evans, who is 33 and cannot play forever.
Fifty million is a lot of money. It is also less than what the next Bucs quarterback would cost if Mayfield walks. Get the deal done, Jason Licht. The alternative is worse.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
