Another Vote For Baker Mayfield Over Brock Purdy
June 2nd, 2025
Joe always pays attention when one NFL analyst talks Bucs because he’s a former scout who worked in a similar world traveled by Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht.
Joe’s referring to popular 3 And Out podcast host John Middlekauff. He spent three-plus years as an Eagles scout early in the regime of legendary Philly general manager Howie Roseman.
Before Roseman got the GM gig, he was an Eagles front office guy the same time Licht was their VP of player personnel.
In fact, Roseman took Licht’s job when Licht bolted Philadelphia for Arizona.
Middlekauff was ranting recently about the take of ex-Bucs QB Chris Simms, who claimed 9 out of 10 NFL football people would choose Baker Mayfield over 49ers QB Brock Purdy.
“I thought [Baker] was awesome [last season]; he has a better arm than Brock,” Middlekauff said. “Now I would say Baker has matured; Brock’s maturity was elite from Day 1.”
That big arm, per Middlekauff, is why he agrees the majority of teams would prefer Mayfield as their starter over Purdy, who just inked a three-year contract extension for about $52 million annually. Mayfield is banking about one-third less per year.
Middlekauff didn’t seem to think the Mayfield-over-Purdy ratio was quite Simms’ declaration of 9-1, but he said Mayfield would be widely assessed as the better quarterback.
June 2nd, 2025 at 9:49 pm
36% less
June 2nd, 2025 at 9:53 pm
$19 million less per year. $57 million over the term of his contract. That is quite the home town discount.
June 2nd, 2025 at 9:54 pm
Assuming this year goes well for him again… be nice if Baker took a 3 for 45-48 per type contract. I could see that happening. Guy will certainly need to keep learning the game to be worth it as he gets older. The play like a linebacker is great but not sustainable for too many years now.
June 2nd, 2025 at 10:04 pm
If he has another career year next year we’ll be opening up the safe for baker before ‘26.
June 2nd, 2025 at 10:44 pm
Hard to win when the qb takes 20% of the Cap
June 2nd, 2025 at 11:03 pm
Joe? Have I done something wrong?
June 2nd, 2025 at 11:58 pm
It is, but realistically, how do you keep his cap number from going up? Assuming he has another good year… Get Greenberg to work on this asap before he bolts in offseason.
June 3rd, 2025 at 12:06 am
Why is it Baker vs Brock? It doesn’t make any sense.
QBs that also got new contracts: Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields. Sam Darnold is better comparison.
QBs actually up for contracts the same year as Baker: Watson, Stafford, Stroud.
And the answer … They are both short, white, QBs.
June 3rd, 2025 at 1:24 am
Brock gets points for being mature day 1. Who the flip gives a flipper flip so flipping dumb. Does he have make sure he kisses that arse.
June 3rd, 2025 at 1:26 am
Elite maturity? What the flip? Im 44 with 4 kids 1 in college. Do I jave wlite maturity or is mine semi pro borderline pro or veteran maturity or middle aged maturity almost pro bowl level. Brock is a horrible investment but hes had that elite maturity since day 1!!!!! Awesome
June 3rd, 2025 at 3:07 am
SlyPirate Says:
” They are both short, white, QBs.”
That’s a pretty bigoted thing to say.
It, of course, has nothing to do with both being the ultimate underdogs.
June 3rd, 2025 at 4:06 am
All these talking heads can prefer Baker all they want, but Purdy took the 49ers to two NFC championships and he doesn’t turn the ball over very often.
June 3rd, 2025 at 4:40 am
These days even mediocre QBs make $50+ mil a year. A few are worth it. Most are not.
June 3rd, 2025 at 6:51 am
Purdy took the 49ers to two NFC championships the same way Brad Johnson won the super bowl for the Bucs in 2001.
It’s called having a really good defenses and no weaknesses on offense… w/ plenty of good skill position players.
In other words, they’re both game managing QBs that could never carry the team on their back but will definitely not lose the game for you. Don’t give a quarterback too much credit for being in a great situation. See how well Purdy did last season without being in that same situation?
June 3rd, 2025 at 7:08 am
The 3 And Out podcast is a great NFL podcast. Jason Licht is not in the Ring of Honor
June 3rd, 2025 at 7:11 am
What? Wait….Purdy over Mayfield and they were serious? Wow!
Go Bucs!
June 3rd, 2025 at 7:17 am
I saw a video of someone breaking down Purdy’s play without all of the weapons on offense. He has to make some bad throws which ended up in bad plays. It is why he regressed. Essentially, the 49ers ran a system where all he had to do was find the open guy because you couldn’t cover everyone. But now they are paying him the bank and they cannot afford weapons so they must draft well. We will see if it works out.
June 3rd, 2025 at 7:20 am
Honestly, I love Baker. I loved watching him with the Sooners, and am thrilled he’s made such a home in TB. Here’s hoping he has another carreer year (along with Evans and Irving) and we lock him up! BTW, Great name DrunkInYbor
June 3rd, 2025 at 9:26 am
Chris Simms is opening a clinic to teach the art of the batted down pass.
June 3rd, 2025 at 11:02 am
BM6 can put all the doubters to bed by winning the Big Games! I hope this is the year Bucs fans see this happen!!!
June 3rd, 2025 at 11:45 am
First Last- That’s correct, a QB needs play makers no matter who he is but Baker has made more plays from a breakdown in a play than Purdy has shown. Not saying he’s a bad QB but I like Baker more.
June 3rd, 2025 at 1:40 pm
You people just say whatever you “feel” don’t you?? “Well Purdy took the 49ers to this and he took them to that.” You act like it’s so easy to take a team to that level of play. There is so much that has to be in place for that to happen. If we stop shooting ourselves in the foot everytime we get a little momentum we could go all the way but it’s not so easy to get guys to not making mistakes. Especially when they are rookies. Last year we could have went all the way but in the Washington game the offense only got 50% of their normal attempts to score because the defense couldn’t shut them down and get off the field. You don’t go to any championship games when you get dominated like that on defense. We had a couple of rookies make rookie mistakes at the worst time, it happens, especially in big games. We have got our act together yet. ITS A TEAM SPORT and you have to have a good defense to go that far in the playoffs. So please stop with the “well so and so did it”. You’re comparing apples to oranges. When we get our act together and the stars align, it won’t be the QB that holds us back.
June 3rd, 2025 at 2:13 pm
How close are we to going all the way? We’ll, lets pretend just for a moment that we beat Washington in that first playoff game. We would have played 2 teams we had already beaten a couple of weeks earlier, Detriot and Philadelphia. If we could have beaten them again we would have been facing a team in the superbowl that we definitely should have beaten on a rainy Monday night in Kansas City. And we most definitely could have beaten them for the superbowl. We are that close. So when people say we aren’t really that good. It just seems like we are due to the weak division we play in. They aren’t looking at the whole picture because we REALLY are that good. We just have to quite making dumb mistakes at the worst time. Couple that with staying healthy and we will go all the way.
June 4th, 2025 at 7:46 am
Why Brock? Compare Baker to Mahomes who is rapidly deteriorating. Pat had a lousy season and choked in the Superbowl on a well coached loaded team. A pick six to slow farm boy? Pleeeeze. People complain about A receiver mudding a handoff but Mahomo threw the ball right to a dood. Choke artist. Baker has surpassed an aging scrambling QB and is better now.
June 4th, 2025 at 7:47 am
Why Brock? Compare Baker to Mahomes who is rapidly deteriorating. Pat had a lousy season and choked in the Superbowl on a well coached loaded team. A pick six to slow farm boy? Pleeeeze. People complain about A receiver mudding a handoff but pat threw the ball right to a dood. Choke artist. Baker has surpassed an aging scrambling QB and is better now.
June 4th, 2025 at 7:49 am
Why Brock? Compare Baker to Mahomes who is rapidly deteriorating. Pat had a lousy season and choked in the Superbowl on a well coached loaded team. A pick six? Pleeeeze. People complain about A receiver mudding a handoff but pat threw the ball right to a dood. Choke artist. Baker has surpassed an aging scrambling QB and is better now.