The Browns is the Browns. If the Browns wasn’t the Browns, Baker Mayfield would still be the starting quarterback in Cleveland.
He’s instead the entrenched starter in Tampa Bay, where he landed after being available to any and every NFL team. Twice. And the Bucs are 2-0, for the third straight season with Mayfield under center.
When he became a free agent in 2023, the interest was limited. He landed with the Bucs on a one-year, $4 million deal. He then became a free agent again in 2024. And the Bucs were able to keep him on a three-year, $100 million deal.
He remains at an annual average of $33.333 million, well below the current high-water mark of $60 million. And while the Bucs recently guaranteed $30 million Mayfield is due to make in 2026, the clock is quietly ticking on a new contract.
When will the Bucs do it? The sooner they move, the cheaper it will be. The longer they wait, the more expensive it will become.
He’s proving he’s worth it. The Bucs are the first team since the merger to score game-winning touchdowns in the final minute of its first two games of a season.
The best news for the Bucs is that, while some teams are struggling to win with market-level quarterback deals (including the other two franchises in Florida), Tampa Bay is experiencing a bargain in Baker Mayfield. And they’re going for their fifth straight division title.
And plenty of teams should be kicking themselves for not making a move on Mayfield when they had a chance.
