Baker Mayfield Could Break The Bank If Bucs Extend Him
March 25th, 2026
Big payday coming?
Someone is going to come after Joe for being a Baker Mayfield hater here. That’s as false a charge as there is.
“This Joe” doesn’t believe any NFL quarterback has better intangibles than Mayfield. Last year was proof. How many games did Mayfield win for the Bucs by putting the team on his back and willing them to a win in the first half of the season? Three, four, five?
There was a good reason that by midseason Mayfield was in sober talks with the NFL elite about being the league’s Most Valuable Player.
And then… splat. It was like there was an imposter wearing No. 6. Like there were two different quarterbacks: pre-bye Baker and post-bye Baker.
As good as the pre-bye Baker was, the post-bye Baker was almost as bad.
Yeah, there are reasons. Mayfield was clearly hurt. His guards were so rotten, the county dump wouldn’t accept them. He had a revolving door of running backs and receivers due to injuries.
But, there’s a reason folks say quarterbacks lead (and make bank).
The Bucs went from 6-2 to losing 7 of their final 9 games, including galling losses to the slimy Saints at home, the Stinking Panthers on the road, the tanking Dolphins in Miami Gardens and an appalling choke job of a loss to the Dixie Chicks on national TV on a Thursday night. That really stuck in Joe’s craw.
One win. If Mayfield could have found a way to get one win in those seven losses, the Bucs are in the playoffs, winning another division and who knows, Mike Evans and Lavonte David might still be with the Bucs today?
It seems Jeff Howe of The Athletic may have missed that second half of the Bucs season. He seems to be of the mind the Bucs are going to work hard to extend Mayfield’s contract, typing that Mayfield has earned a raise.
But now that he has more than proven his worth as a franchise quarterback, don’t assume his next pact will remain among the most team-friendly in the NFL.
Did Mayfield prove he was a franchise quarterback? Joe doesn’t know of too many franchise quarterbacks that go from 6-2 with a shot at the No. 1 seed to 8-9 playing in a trash division watching the playoffs from their couch, losing to godawful teams in the process.
Joe is all-in for Mayfield getting a top-10 new contract (he’s currently No. 16 in quarterback salaries, per Howe), provided the pre-bye Baker guides the Bucs back to the playoffs.
If post-bye Baker shows up again and the team goes south, with the 2027 draft expected to be absolutely loaded with top-shelf quarterbacks, Joe doesn’t know how you could throw megamoney to Mayfield for being Jameis II.
Mayfield has to turn those fantastic intangibles into season-long production and a return to the playoffs.
March 25th, 2026 at 7:57 am
I don’t believe for one second the Bucs are going to give Mayfield a new contract before the 2026 season is over. The whole point of bringing back Bowles is, if he fails, to wipe the slate clean with both Bowles and Baker. I love Baker, but I love the Bucs more. The next head coach may not like Baker’s play. I don’t think the Bucs should hamstring a potential future new head coach like that. The Falcons are dealing with that right now. Penix was assumed to be the future with Raheem and now Stefansky wants “competition” for Penix. That’s code for “we don’t believe in you”.
March 25th, 2026 at 7:57 am
Joe doesn’t know of too many franchise quarterbacks that go from 6-2 with a shot at the No. 1 seed to 8-9 playing in a trash division watching the playoffs from their couch, losing to godawful teams in the process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pat Mahomes? Not as dramatic, but big letdown just the same.
March 25th, 2026 at 7:58 am
Team friendly deal is the smart way to go. He has never proven that he is an elite QB. And with the pending FA’s in 2027 on this team it’s the only way to go. We can always find another short, inconsistent, QB with an attitude next season. Kyler Murray will be available.
March 25th, 2026 at 7:59 am
Protect him, and he will.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:01 am
…and he is absolutely an elite quarterback. Loss of both guards killed this team last year. It was painfully obvious statistically and if you just watched the games the DT’s were all over Baker on virtually every play.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:04 am
If it’s a reasonable deal for three years then I’d be for it. That would give us some protection and the flexibility to get a rookie in ‘27 to build around.
If it’s a market setting deal it would be dumber than extending Bowles.
I like mayfield and think he’s a good tier 2 qb. But you do not extend him with a top of market deal until he shows you he can bounce back and get deep in the playoffs.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:06 am
We don’t even have another QB in the pipeline. What are the odds of a QB selected outside of the top ten is gonna work out? (To say NOTHING of the ones inside) Wed draft some dude like that guy in Miami and sign an FA like Carson Wentz
March 25th, 2026 at 8:11 am
@ Obvious: “…it would be dumber than extending Bowles.” Disagree. NOTHNG is dumber than extending Bowles.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:12 am
Brady would not have played behind jayvee Guards in the Bucs mushy middle. Here is a thought. All successful NFL QB’s play behind lines that hold up on pass plays.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:18 am
Mayfield is a gamer.
He is the quintessential Tier 2 quarterback: talented enough to win you games on a Sunday in October. You can win with him, but the jury is still out on whether you can win because of him when the season is on the line — he clearly had chances the end of last season even with a weaker line.
We actually saw many years that Brady did it in New England — years where either the OL play or skill positions were lacking and Brady still got it done.
Giving Baker a top of market extension right now feels like a reach. You do not hand out “franchise savior” money until a guy proves he can bounce back from that end of the year slump.
Anything else is just paying tier 1 and then hoping for future miracles.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:20 am
Draft a qb and keep 3
March 25th, 2026 at 8:23 am
He had that one won, this Joe. 3rd & 28. Baker was not on the field. If the Defense stops them, game over. They gave up half. 4th & 14. Baker still not on field. The Defense gave up the rest.
Yes. If they won, they are in the playoffs. But so what? That team was filled with losers.
And who wants a player, even a HOF caliber guy, who wants to leave so badly that he’s willing to move to a very bad part of California for lower pay and higher taxes? Where the rookie WR was shot?
And yet the Bucs have not really cleaned house, have they? Still have bored Zyon. Injured Cancey. Paid a bunch of money to a journeyman TE. Kept a HC that has a history of untimely multi game losing streaks, culminating in one so bad last year that the team went from ranked number 1 to being laughed at by everyone.
So, sure. Give Baker a big contract. What’s the worst that could happen? A new coach and GM come in and they end up in Cap Hell to start?
Or do thy let it ride and see what happens at the end of this year?
March 25th, 2026 at 8:28 am
Record would look a lot better if the defense was even close to being decent. That’s the problem. Baker and the offense was the reason they were winning games in the 1st half of the season. O-line is beat to crap, running backs and receivers in and out of the line up, and ultimately baker being injured. That’s when you need the defense to step up enough to help the offense out, not give up a 3rd and 28 and then 4th and 14 to a divisional opponent that would’ve locked up the playoffs. Baker deserves a raise
March 25th, 2026 at 8:30 am
Also if I’m the Bucs, I’m extending baker now, if he goes and has another season like he did with Liam, then his price tag is gonna sky rocket.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:39 am
We have so many holes this isnt one of them. I wouldn’t put Baker in as one of the elites but hes damn good and has proven it what more do you guys need to see? Plus the way the guy plays it might be the only exciting thing we have to look forward to lol
March 25th, 2026 at 8:40 am
I can see the logic of either path. Maybe lock him up now while there are no other bidders or see if a highly probable new coach would rather go another way. Baker runs a little hot and cold. But yeah…that kike truly stunk to high heaven. Even Wirfs wasn’t really himself. Throw in nobody on the team could tackle. The whole team seemed to just quit.
That brings me to the biggest thing that’s gotta happen: Bowlzo has to somehow reclaim his team. I believe the exodus of White, Dean, and Evans was them giving up on Bowlzo.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:41 am
Tank for Manning.jajaja
March 25th, 2026 at 8:43 am
Baker’s won/loss record with the Bucs, including playoffs, is 28-26. And this is with or without a healthy O Line. I like Baker, but those numbers do not equate to elite status and pay.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:45 am
Mayfield has to turn those fantastic intangibles into season-long production and a return to the playoffs.
-The best thing the Bucs could do is bolster their Offensive Line talent and depth, especially since both starting Guards are coming off knee injuries.
They have talent at WR, RB and have a capable TE although an upgrade is in the mix.
If Mayfield has a great year- Bucs are in the playoffs and an extension is in play
If Mayfield disappoints, a newly drafted QB will have good talent to work with.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:45 am
If Baker Mayfield is your starting QB you better have a top 10 defense and a top 5 running game.
The Bucs have neither…
Either make the necessary improvements to the team or find a better QB (which is easier said than done).
Personally, I would not extend Baker’s contract until this season is over.
I have the Bucs winning @ 6/7 games and when that happens this team will be finally ready to clean house.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:47 am
Glazers will get Baker Cheap or move on
March 25th, 2026 at 8:52 am
Holy crap. That slur word was supposed to be lone, not kike. Sorry.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:59 am
Stpetematt Says:
…and he is absolutely an elite quarterback. Loss of both guards killed this team last year. It was painfully obvious statistically and if you just watched the games the DT’s were all over Baker on virtually every play.
—————————————————————————————-
The loss of both guards and the injuries he was dealing with had a huge impact on his play. It would have been nice if we had a backup QB they could have put in for a few games.
March 25th, 2026 at 8:59 am
Line not lone.
March 25th, 2026 at 9:03 am
Yeah man! An actual backup QB would have let Baker heal.
March 25th, 2026 at 9:10 am
I like Baker and think he’s a good QB. He plays with heart and played hurt because he was better than a high school coach backup. That being said, he had to prove he can “play smart” to get more money.
March 25th, 2026 at 9:15 am
Joe. After the bye. We were 6-2. Patriots did what no NFL team had done in over 20 years. 4 breakaway TDS over 55 yards-2 over 80 yards. Mayfield threw 3 touchdowns and we had zero turnovers and lost. 6-3. Josh Allen accounted for 6 touchdowns and Baker hung 32 points. Should have been 34, no matter. 6-4. The Rams abused our defense to the extent I’ve never! witnessed in an NFL game. 6-5. We won the next game. Only God knows how. 7-5. Mayfield has stunk up the field for the last 4 games, hasn’t he Joe? Horse crap! Then we have the 28-14 lead in the 4th quarter and our defense ineptitude lost us another game. Then the Panthers we’ve got them right where we want them with under 2 minutes and the ball at our own 8 yard line and losing by 3. Sure. 2 games in rainstorms and the defense still let a couple of crummy teams score enough points to win. Baker didn’t give a rat’s a$$ about making it to the playoffs with one more win. He’d given every dang thing he had to make this team a top seed and Super Bowl contender. The defense and special teams and coaching destroyed his will and he still fought his butt off. But to make this defense sound like world beaters after the bye is the magic that holding suck a$$ teams in monsoon conditions to lower than their average can do. So yes, Mayfield, with a coaching staff that went into full turtle mode the final 3 games, gave the organization the scapegoat they needed. Baker is used to being the scapegoat.
March 25th, 2026 at 9:19 am
I said this before. We saw what happened in Cleveland when he played hurt. They stunk. We saw that after the bye.
The problem is Todd! He should bench Baker when he is hurt. Otherwise it will be
RINSE AND REPEAT
I would not extend his contract if the plan is to keep Todd for the rest of his contract.
March 25th, 2026 at 9:21 am
Compare apples to apples. How many quarterbacks would have played with those injuries. Probably none. Jordan Love was playing with a sprain in his left shoulder but LeFleure took the ball out of his hands until he got better. The Packers survived that because they were a better team with a better defense. Baker had other injuries as well. He should have been sat down.
That being said, Mayfield should be signed to a new contract but not at 50 million per. Tua, Herbert, Love, Prescott, Murray , Hurts, Lawrence, Purdy all got the big bag and none of them have earned it yet. There are only a few that deserve that kind of money and they are Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Burrow, and Stafford. Even with the salary clap going up, that’s still too much money and there’s not enough left to build a team.
March 25th, 2026 at 9:22 am
HELL NAW!!! He is to inconsistent and can’t win big games. Not sure what you yes guys are watching every Sunday. Too many times I see him take off running for no reason and there are open WR down the field. That is not good QB play. If this team extend him this team will never win a SB!
March 25th, 2026 at 9:24 am
Other teams are paying big salaries to elite Quarterbacks. so it the Bucs want to be in the playoffs, there is no other path to follow.
They can’t allow Mayfield to play injured like past seasons. You have to give him time to heal. So you lose with or without him but when you get him back with rest you have the ability to play meaningful games to win their division.
March 25th, 2026 at 9:25 am
You can include Goff on that list too. He doesn’t deserve what he’s making either.
March 25th, 2026 at 9:25 am
It’s a good business decision because you don’t have to win in Tampa bucs meadi and fans don’t care about winning champships as long as you have a fun season losing is ok .
March 25th, 2026 at 9:26 am
I think baker carr sucks he’s just not a winner he’s proven to melt when it really counts