Bucs Blow Up “Middle Class” Quarterback Market
September 9th, 2026
Reason to smile.
Last night Joe noticed that Tristan Wirfs, Luke Goedeke, Jalen McMillan and Ko Kieft took to social media to celebrate how Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield is locked in as your Bucs starting quarterback through 2029.
And while Mayfield, the Bucs and Mayfield’s Bucs teammates may have popped champagne bottles last night — but not too many, they’ve all got practice later this morning — many suits of NFL have-nots might be staring at the walls alone, with a glass of Pappy Van Winkle 15 on the rocks trying to figure out how the hell they are going to afford their mid-tier quarterback — if they even have one.
Suddenly, the price for Sam Darnold has skyrocketed like Micron Technology stock last winter.
Mayfield, Conor Orr of SI.com typed, had the Bucs by the balls. The Bucs are, Orr typed, a mini-version of the Steelers: Always a playoff contender since Tom Brady showed up.
But without Mayfield, what are the Bucs, Orr noted?
That’s why Tampa Bay had no choice but to pacify Mayfield, just like it did a few weeks ago by extending the similarly disgruntled Vita Vea at the age of 31. Both players are good, don’t get me wrong. But I wonder if guaranteeing Mayfield—in terms of an EPA per play and completion percentage over expectation composite, the 14th-best quarterback between 2023 and ’25—$150 million was in the best interest of the team moving forward.
In doing so, the Buccaneers fascinatingly isolated the only player left in this middle-class hive, which was once populated by both Mayfield and Geno Smith, and last year’s Super Bowl winner, Sam Darnold.
The Joe typing this here story had long been in favor of Mayfield playing out his contract the way Mayfield and the Bucs collapsed after the bye — even though Joe understood the Bucs really wanted to wrap up the Mayfield negotiations and had no interest in drafting a quarterback come April.
So do we really know that the post-bye Mayfield last season won’t raise his ugly head again? Apparently, the Bucs were convinced that the second half of last season was a fluke for Mayfield and that the 2024 version of Mayfield and the pre-bye Mayfield last season are the same guy who shows up this fall and beyond.
September 9th, 2026 at 5:29 am
The NFL’s quarterback middle class used to mean $35 million. Now it means your owner needs a liquidity event.
September 9th, 2026 at 5:33 am
lol
I remember when People really watched the games, and understood what was needed to be successful.
Those days are gone.
Mayfield has had to learn a complete new offensive system every single year he’s been here. Snow offensive Coordinator every year.
That’s insanity. Only mismanaged perineal losers like the bungling browns are that inefficient.
Last years the 3 interior Offensive lineman were horrible. They didn’t belong in the NFL. That included Graham Barton. He looked good at Lt early- but that seemed to cause him to totally regress at Center. The backup Guards were a carousel of incompetence.
A no one seems to notice that our WR depth was so bad- that we were starting a 7th round, and undrafted, rookies at WR.
That’s an Embarrassment. So many times Mayfield Threw the ball to where the WR should be, and the rookies were somewhere else. Lost.
That’s what happens with Rookies. That’s why you never start 2 rookies. Especially not some kids from the practice squad.
Even starting A 1st round pick, you want an experienced WR starting with him
Our rookie Offensive Coordinator last year was really bad. He killed our chances with predictable calls.
And despite that, Mayfield still managed to get us in position to win, in the 4th quarter.
Just to watch our inept defense give away the game.
Mayfield struggled in the last half of the Season??
Lmao.
He shoulda went to his 3rd probowl. Incredible that he could keep that Trash afloat.
Anyone who thinks Mayfield was even remotely responsible for last seasons fiasco, doesn’t know anything about football.
September 9th, 2026 at 5:38 am
Joe, the 55 million annually is a little deceiving. No one is mentioning this years salary that I believe is 37 million? Add that to his 165 million for 27, 28, 29, you get 202 million. So in reality he’s making 50.5 million annually for four years averaged out, no?
September 9th, 2026 at 5:49 am
Disagree with Conor’s take. They made a choice to sign him now as opposed to next year when the price would have been even higher. Good cap management in my opinion. Also, what’s with EPA play and expectation composite? Rear view hindsight gibberish in a poorly constructed sentence designed to make yourself sound more intelligent? Ah well, he lost me when he lumped Baker with Geno. Try harder.
September 9th, 2026 at 6:03 am
Only solace I have signing a mid QB for elite QB pay, and after 8 years in the league Baker had 1 great year, and 7 average to poor years, the last time he signed a contract, Baker exploded with that one great year, as Terrell Owen’s once said “He’s my quarterback”
September 9th, 2026 at 6:13 am
“So do we really know that the post-bye Mayfield last season won’t raise his ugly head again?“
It will, because it’s who he’s always been his entire career. Price has gone up, and so will the scrutiny. That is win me a SB money, and if not it’s a waste of money especially for a QB with Mayfields “intangibles”
September 9th, 2026 at 6:27 am
Broke out some extra PBR to celebrate last night.
September 9th, 2026 at 6:29 am
“One great year, 7 average years “. I think that proves that he has it in him just needs better OC and the proper talent around him. I believe he can get us to a superbowl with the right OC and a really good defense with a better HC. He wants to prove the world wrong so let’s see how it goes. Also, Geno? Really?
September 9th, 2026 at 6:31 am
“Middle Class”. Let’s get this straight. He’s had the opportunity to QB the worst 2 teams record wise in the history of the NFL over a 50 year period? And he’s made each of those teams contenders from the minute he walked in the door?
He got a fair deal. A couple years from now, he’ll be an average paid QB. But that doesn’t mean that he’ll be an average QB. That’s something he’s never been, and something he’ll never be.
Baker Mayfield is gonna be remembered as the QB of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when his career is over. He may be our QB another 7 or 8 years. Nobody enjoys the game of football more than Baker.
No way we’re not contenders this season and every season that Baker leads the team out of that tunnel. Say what you want about last year, we were in the hunt through the last game.