Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a three-year, $165 million contract extension. The deal includes $150 million guaranteed and makes Mayfield’s $55 million average annual salary tied for the third-highest in the league.
With the Tampa quarterback heading towards free agency, the Bucs made the right move in locking in their guy. People can scoff at the price tag, but the reality is that’s the going rate for a starting quarterback today. Mayfield has provided stability and wins for a franchise in their post-Tom Brady era.
An Evolving Roster
The Bucs have had a busy offseason this year. Vita Vea requested a trade before signing an extension. They let their franchise leader in receiving yards and touchdowns walk in Mike Evans. It was reported that Mayfield was not going to sign an extension after negotiations went stale, but they ultimately got the deal done.
Alongside those two key retentions, Tampa signed proven veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone, the physical defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, running back Kenneth Gainwell for depth, and selected edge Rueben Bain Jr. when he fell to them in the draft.
Between the new additions and the blend of young and old on the roster, the Bucs needed to make sure they had a leader on the roster for several years. Mayfield is that guy. It is more than well-documented that he’s loved by every one of his teammates. His “chip on the shoulder” attitude and persona are galvanizing forces for a locker room that, combined with his production since arriving in Tampa, made him a key piece to keep.
High Floor Reliability For Baker Mayfield
Though a former first overall pick, Mayfield isn’t regarded as an elite-tier quarterback. Depending on who’s answering, they may not even have him in the top ten. Is that a deal-breaker, though? Sam Darnold just won a Super Bowl with only one great statistical game in the playoffs. Jalen Hurts has been phenomenal in both Conference Championships and Super Bowls he’s played in, but nobody can agree on how good he is.
Winning Super Bowls is hard no matter who it is. Having someone under center who is consistently productive and wins games is much more valuable than most debates make it seem. There are franchises where the standard is banners, not wins.
Pittsburgh, New England, and Green Bay have histories that create championship expectations. Jacksonville, Arizona, and Carolina are more concerned about relevance. Despite their two titles, the Bucs are much closer to the latter than the former. It’s a small market without an aggressive media presence. A stable product can satiate their fanbase, and trophies are an added bonus.
Tampa’s reality is a mildly dysfunctional division with movement in the standings year after year. Mayfield gives them an advantage as arguably (but probably the overwhelming pick) the best quarterback in the division. He led the Bucs to back-to-back division titles in his first two seasons and gave them a chance to win a third straight despite a litany of injuries.
Mayfield isn’t Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, but he is a high-floor quarterback who will give Tampa a puncher’s chance every time they step on the field. That is worth $55 million per year for the majority of NFL franchises.
