What To Pay Baker Mayfield?
June 7th, 2026
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield.
Joe is as confident as can be Baker Mayfield, if healthy, will line up under center for the Bucs to open the 2027 season.
Whether that means he has a new contract or a franchse tag deal, well that element is unclear.
No question Mayfield is looking for an upgrade to his current contract, which expires after the 2026 season. He’s currently the No. 16-paid quarterback (average salary), per Spotrac.com, which has Mayfield making $40 million this fall.
By contrast, per the creator, curator and overall guru of Pro Football Talk, the great Mike Florio, Tua was paid by the Dolphins some $53 million last season.
Damn right Mayfield is worth more than Tua.
Seattle’s Sam Darnold just led his team to a Super Bowl win and, per Spotrac, makes maybe a used Ford F-150 from Bill Currie Ford more than Mayfield. The next-highest paid player at No. 14 is Daniel Jones at $44 million.
Even though the Joe typing here is hesitant to re-sign Mayfield ASAP after the way the offense tanked after the bye last season, Joe is adamant Mayfield is worth at least as much as Jones.
š» @TomPelissero
Baker Mayfield wants a new extension in Tampa Bay ā will he get one before the start of the 2026 season?#NFL #WeAreTheKrewe pic.twitter.com/AVe4lvir0e
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 5, 2026
Ira Kaufman Talks Antoine Winfield Chat, More Jason Licht Comments, Zyon McCollum Candor, Fresh Mike Evans News Conference & Much More
June 7th, 2026 at 6:16 am
52/4
June 7th, 2026 at 6:26 am
Btw, you cant bank on other’s stupidity like miami and cleveland….theres still others to pay. Be a team player, and i mean dont sell yourself short by no means Baker, but it is a TEAM around you that helps….help make that happen….be reasonable
June 7th, 2026 at 6:27 am
Use some of that there voodoo math. You take an average of his value for his 2 very different seasons last year. $70 million for his 1st half performance + $10 million for the 2nd half Ć· 2= $40 million for this year. Plus, incentives. Oh yeah, PERFECT, that’s exactly what he’s already earning and the incentive is to have a complete season this time around and actually earn your bloated 17%+ share of the team’s salary cap.
June 7th, 2026 at 6:30 am
And do we really want emulate Miami? Or, would we rather mimic a SB winner like Seattle?
June 7th, 2026 at 6:36 am
See how he does in 2026. Franchise tag him for 2027. 40 + 52 = 92 / 2 = 46 average. Plus meaningful incentives if we make the playoffs, win the NFC Championship and the Super Bowl. Those incentives would get him well over $100 million ā¦ and heck, itās all guaranteed.
Sure that might tick him offā¦but weād have two years to assess injury and then to break the bank should he deliver championships.
This his the hammer Licht has ā¦ which may pave the way for a reasonable negotiation that doesnāt sound like a 4-year quarter billion guaranteed contract which is Iām sure Bakerās current starting point.
June 7th, 2026 at 6:45 am
Just because other clubs made bad deals with their QBs doesn’t mean we have to. We found Baker, the Vikes, and Seahawks found Darnold. We can find another one. Baker is not worth a long term deal paying him 60 plus a year. These college QBs are coming out playing well right away. Tyler Slough might be the best QB in our division this year. He came in older, with more playing experience. They all are now, with NIL deals. The Bucs like their UDFA Daniels. We have options. Don’t let Baker become our Tua. Baker should be our bridge QB, not going to last five more years as a starter at his size, the way he plays.
June 7th, 2026 at 6:57 am
I don’t see how Money is the most important thing here
We need to relieve Todd Bowles of his DC Duties!
He can stay Head Coach
Baker should say, I will only re-sign here, if Todd B is gone as DC
Or if Baker comes out and says, I love TB as DC and HC…. I will make myself gone and find something else to do!
LIFE IS SIMPLE! (Lyrics)
If you donā²t like something, change it
If you don’t like your job, quit
If you donā²t have enough time, stop watching TV
Life is simple
June 7th, 2026 at 7:11 am
Actually extending Baker for as long as possible perfectly meets the true objectives of Licht and Bowles : keeping their jobs – having Baker under contract provides a ready-made excuse for a mediocre W-L record going forward – winning games has always been an afterthought for Licht – the key for him is his own job security – he can always point to Baker if he falters on field and claim that heās āturning the cornerā and āwait til next yearā – meanwhile Licht snickers and collects the loot – thatās our GM
June 7th, 2026 at 7:25 am
“…Tua was paid by the Dolphins some $53 million last season. Damn right Mayfield is worth more than Tua. ” I never was a believer in this type of logic. Yes, of course the Dolphins over paid Tua. That’s their problem. There’s what…maybe 64 guys on the planet that can do what Baker does? That’s 32 starters and 32 back up’s. Pay Baker fair market value regardless of how much other teams are overpaying. Yea, I get it. That’s not how the market works. I’m just not a fan of financially handcuffing a team for future years. “Kick the can down the road” No thanks.
June 7th, 2026 at 7:32 am
We need to wait until after this season. I have a feeling that Jaylin Daniels might end up being better than Baker. He has two sides like Jaymiss. He needs to win a playoff game before he gets the bag!! His bad performances in the second half of the season is one of the reasons why we didnāt make it to the playoffs. Itās probably a big part of the reason why Mike left. Baker makes some great plays and has some great games but he also makes some bad plays and has some horrible games. Baker has not taken us any further than Jaymiss has.
June 7th, 2026 at 7:54 am
FAIR market price
Thatās 50+ million a year.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:00 am
@Mad Max… exactly. This isn’t a winning formula comparing other mediocre QBs to their gaudy contracts and/or the gamble other franchises felt they had to make. The problem the NFL and franchises have, is that this is a quality QB starved league, and agents know this, they have a ton of leverage given most of this league doesn’t have quality starting options at their QB position. These are facts.
I say let Baker fight for that next contract. I’d rather overpay if he over performs. And if he decides to walk in spite, good he can have another “revenge” game against us…smh. Simply paying him now because we have nothing better behind him or we can’t project anything better, I just think leads to us spinning our wheels as a franchise whose division is going to eventually get better and more difficult. Baker has a reputation that proceeds him, he’s got 9 seasons under his belt, and what? 2 really good seasons overall? This guy has yet to figure out how to win when the spotlight is on him and the Bucs. Lets hope he can find that next gear that many of you think he has.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:05 am
50 million plus incentives of 1 million for each playoff win.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:10 am
Bucs are over the barrel
Deliverance styleā¦
June 7th, 2026 at 8:28 am
This will get it done, although maybe not until the end of the year.
Both sides want it, they just want their own favorable terms. Like any contract.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:29 am
Don’t know other team wants BAKER as they’re franchise quarterback he will be 32 years old next year he’s a bridge quarterback and some of y’all just can’t esept that especially his fan boys. And the rest of y’all are caught up in the jester’s like moxie and he’s a dog and none of that win championships. Baker biggest claim to fame is moxie and dog and not winning big games. He’s choked in every big game last year when we needed him to put the team on his back and just win one game down the strech instead he threw them away even when the defense held teams down. Even games like the cardinals game we won but Baker played bad in that game. And please stop with all that free agent quarterbacks because are less the NFL is going to bring back the rules for the defense in 2002 or we get Patrick Mahomes and the bucs bring in Brock Bowers, Jamar Chase and Gibbs at runningback a free agent quarterback ain’t going to get us back to a Superbowl. Because every thing I just named was the reason why we have 2 Superbowls right now. The bucs must draft a quarterback next year in the first round even if they have to move up .to get one. That’s why I’m not totally against singing Baker to a short term deal so the young quarterback can sit until he’s ready to play. But at this point of Baker Mayfield career he’s not a franchise quarterback and 3 other teams has shown that especially at the age of 32 years old. The meadi likes Baker so they promote him as if he’s a franchise quarterback. And bucs meadi needs to stop making excuses for Baker Mayfield and tell the truth about his play on the field. The only one that’s been honest is Lee Dacamper from Joebucs fan.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:35 am
Here’s a thought. Don’t even bother paying a QB big money if you’re going to keep a bottom rung defensive coordinator as your head coach and continue to hire new offensive coordinators every offseason.
Two out of the last three offensive coordinators that they’ve hired are better coaches than the current head coach. Last season proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. I have no doubt that Robinson will make it three out of four.
What do they do then if they have a QB making +$50 million? Keep the bum defensive coordinator thats been mis-cast as a head coach, or try to maximize their QB investment and make the successful OC the head coach for once?
June 7th, 2026 at 8:38 am
Bucs can always franchise Baker next season IF he has a good year , but that is a big IF.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:39 am
Bucs have the advantage.
Bake has bounced to four teams in what 5 o6 6 years? High priced and winning QBs dont have that happen to them.
Hes probably in the middle of his prime. I dont see any huge improvements coming.
Hes a small guy… Injuries will soon mount. Look at last year. Hell, he was hurt a good amount in Cleveland.
Lots of QBs in next year’s draft. Winning franchises know that the recipe for success. A good or great rook on a 5 year deal.
Bucs have talent on the offense. I highly doubt another team that would be interested in him has the same or better. Teams that need a starter….. suck.
And as always, no state income tax and Florida is a great place to live.
I would not pay him 50 plus per. I don’t see him taking a team to conference championship game. You pay that kinda money and you better get us there at a minimum.
Lastly, dont say Rams, cause Stafford has a 2 year deal.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:44 am
Baker carr is worth no lore than 3 million a year even that is too much bucs really are stupid if they think baler is worth more than that heās just not a winner what are they blind? He sucks canāt even win a sorry ass division will never win a superbowl
June 7th, 2026 at 8:46 am
Baker was healthy with a healthy team in the 2024 playoffs against a rookie lead team with a defense ranked in the 20s and lost…at home. Healthy or “injured” Baker lead offenses don’t score in must win games.
Baker is a backup QB at best thats why he couldn’t beat backup QBs and bad defenses down the stretch in 2025. This isn’t rocket science, Baker isnt worth the contract he has now. He isnt consistent and doesn’t help the Bucs beat the top teams when it matters most.
Hes not getting an extension. And after he plays terribly this season he’ll be lucky to start again. If Baker was confident in his abilities he wouldn’t need to go to the media and talk about his contract. He knows this is last chance for a big contract because his mediocre skills are diminishing. All he cares about is money and fame, not winning.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Baker is already guaranteed $40M this year.
A 3 year extension at $150M with $75M Guaranteed keeps Baker under contract through the 2029 season and fully guarantees his pay this year, next year and also 1/2 of 2028….
Thats about as high as the Bucs can/should go other than perhaps some performance incentives if necessary.
Anything more than that starts falling into territory of hurting the team because of too much $ going to one position.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:51 am
People that make 30, 40, 50 million per year shouldn’t be squabbling over a few million more per season. Maybe its just me.one of the reasons I don’t watch baseball anymore.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:52 am
However, I do hope we sign him.
June 7th, 2026 at 8:59 am
Mayfield and tua in the same breath! You guys are smoking dope! He should hold out! give you guys something else to wine about!
June 7th, 2026 at 9:01 am
5 years $275 million. $175 Million guaranteed.
June 7th, 2026 at 9:03 am
Baker Mayfield’s new deal –
1) Base salary – $10M
2) Play-off game win bonus – $10M per win
3) NFC Championship win – $10M
4) Super Bowl win – $10M
Go for it Baker!
June 7th, 2026 at 9:04 am
This is a spoof… Nothing.. trade him forvthe guy who replaced him in Cleveland Deshaun Watson.
June 7th, 2026 at 9:05 am
Bee for the win. Great post as always.
Baker is play checkers and the Glazers need to play chess.
There is no urgency to signing him until 2026 plays out. No risk it no biscuit.
People are scared to lose Mayfield but in reality heās barely better than Winston.
And thatās in the worst division in the NFL. He doesnāt have leverage.
June 7th, 2026 at 9:06 am
All QB NFL contracts should look the same but most QBs don’t have the minerals…
Come on Baker!
Where is your “moxie”?
June 7th, 2026 at 9:06 am
āBy contrast, per the creator, curator and overall guru of Pro Football Talk, the great Mike Florio, Tua was paid by the Dolphins some $53 million last season.ā
Just because the Dolphins put terrible value into Tua, doesnāt mean we follow behind that and do the same because that would be ridiculous. Tua is still owed $54M THIS year while heās playing for another team, so instead of using that as a metric it should be seen as a cautionary tale. Baker aināt THAT much better than Tua lol
Also, give me a break with paying him for anything >3 years, because thereās not a storied history of inconsistent QBs who arenāt all that good from the pocket playing well deep into their 30s. 4 OCs in being a Buccaneers and every single one has refrenced keeping his feet under control. QBs who played well didnāt have those fundemental defects to their game, they were pretty good from the pocket, and those guys thrived against man to man coverage which is something Baker still struggles with.
But you guys donāt care about consistent or performance, you like all that other moxy chip on shoulder stuff and the fact he can be sassy from time to time lol yāall talk like heās the hulk, like getting him pissed off makes him play better and if thatās the motivation he needs to be just good and not great, then what are we even talking about?
Also, whatās the name of the QB coach he works out with in the off-season? What steps has Mayfield taken in his own time to improve his own game or is he too busy shooting deodorant and fried chicken ads?
June 7th, 2026 at 9:11 am
Tua wasnāt worth as much as he got paid. And thatās why heās on a minimum deal and on the Falcons.
June 7th, 2026 at 9:14 am
Bakers contract was 3 years 100,000,000 or 33 mil a year. And Now the Media fools are claiming its 40 mil a year. So the Bucs are playing money games but they didn’t pay him more. If you want a starting QB pay him but if you want to pay for a backup the loss will be solely on Licht and the Glazers
June 7th, 2026 at 9:28 am
@ warren
“Just because the Dolphins put terrible value into Tua, doesnāt mean we follow behind that and do the same because that would be ridiculous. Tua is still owed $54M THIS year while heās playing for another team, so instead of using that as a metric it should be seen as a cautionary tale. Baker aināt THAT much better than Tua lol”
I agree with you on this one.
Finally you have a decent take…
June 7th, 2026 at 9:32 am
3 years: 150 million.
100 million guaranteed.
50 million signing bonus.
Done deal.
June 7th, 2026 at 9:35 am
@MadMax, I am right there with you.
Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys leads the NFL with an average annual salary of $60 million, closely followed by a tier of quarterbacks making $55 million per year, including Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers), and Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars). Rounding out the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks by average annual value (AAV) are Tua Tagovailoa ($53.1M), Jared Goff and Brock Purdy ($53M), Justin Herbert ($52.5M)…
IMO, Baker is as good or better than Love, Lawrence, Goff and Purdy and obviously Tua. So any amount under $55 is a bargain. Don’t forget, Next year and the year after, these numbers will seem small in comparison as salaries are skyrocketing.
@Lt Dan: “Pay Baker fair market value…”
This is fair market value. Baker has all the leverage. What would be the back up plan if Baker plays hardball? Hope to get lucky with a Tua or Kyler Murray deal? NO THANKS! And the Bucs will not be drafting high enough to pick a good QB, and even if the did, the draft is at best a 50/50 proposition.
The Bucs can franchise tag Baker next year for about $50.6. I doubt Baker wants to play on a year to year contract. If they are smart, both sides settle in the low $50s before training camp opens. That is a more than fair market value
June 7th, 2026 at 9:38 am
āIf healthyā is an important factor.
June 7th, 2026 at 9:39 am
@Teacherman, we are on the exact same page.
June 7th, 2026 at 9:47 am
When baker sees guys like geno smith tua Kyler Watson making way more than him heās going to want a raise. Heās been a top 10 qb since being a buc. Heās up there in td passes and yards. Pay the man
June 7th, 2026 at 9:51 am
No contract, next year give him the tag, if he balls out.
June 7th, 2026 at 9:56 am
Last 3 years since baker been a buc heās second in tds and 3 in yards. Heās ranked the last 3 years in overall qb play. 3 years of baker heās had 12237 yards 95 tds 37 ints completion percentage 66.3 and qb rating of 97.4. Only qbs better are Goff and Stafford those are 1 and 2. Been better than mahomes Allen dak Lamar etc. pay him
June 7th, 2026 at 10:13 am
Will glazers pay what the going rate for a qb like baker goes for, thats the question. I dont think they will after last season they are going to want to see more from him this year. It also will depend on how well the bucs do as a team, another turd of a season could lead to a rebuild
June 7th, 2026 at 10:14 am
Seriously – make Baker play out his current contract and see how things go.
If things go well then franchise tag him for 2027 ($50M) and try to negotiate a longer term (3 yrs max) deal.
It’s really not that complicated folks.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:16 am
I agree , 150/3 , 100 G, 50SB,, fair and we all can get on with our lives
June 7th, 2026 at 10:23 am
If the Bucs strategy is to let him play in 2026 without starting the season with a new contractā¦
He Gone !
and the Bucs will NOT be the highest bidder.
Itāll be NO skin off Bakerās ass!
He has never played under the same offensive coordinator in his entire NFL career, so moving on is nothing for him.
Butā¦ we will still have Jason Licht , Todd Bowels and JBF
June 7th, 2026 at 10:26 am
If somehow the Bucs shake up the world and go to and even win a superbowl this season with Baker at the helm, then Baker will have succeeded in the ā prove it ā year. He will then be going into his 32 year old season with another year of wear and tear on his body. The odds are that he wonāt ever replicate that again. In which case, how would it benefit the Bucs to break the bank for Baker with a long term high dollar annual deal at that point. That would make future success even less likely for the Bucs as a team. If the team truly believes in him, they need to reward him for what he has already contributed these past 3 seasons for which he has already played at a discount and give him a healthy raise to at least be comparable to what some of these other quarterbacks, some of whom undeservingly, have already been making in that 50-55 million dollar range. So Baker will be late to that party! Tear up the old contract and replace it with the new one now so that 2026 will be the first year and run it for 4 years through 2029 with the first 3 years guaranteed. They can still draft a qb in 2027 and can move on from that contract at the end of 2028 if things donāt go as planned. He will be 34 going into his 2029 season. Who knows what heāll be like at that point considering the way he plays. The way things are going with the salary cap, the NFL might be paying top level qbās 75 million a year by 2027-2028. Also throw in some incentives primarily based on team success to sweeten the pot. The Bucs need to do this to maintain goodwill for the team. They can afford this and the salary cap will continue to grow at least for the next few seasons.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:27 am
@ SB-LV
Baker will have no choice if the Bucs use the franchise tag on him in 2027.
Perhaps the Bucs could FT Baker then trade him for a 1st round pick?
That would be brilliant IMO.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:28 am
Can’t use Tua as a benchmark, if Mayfield wants to stay then it has to work for both sides or else he will be a cast off just like Tua and other QBs who were paid that didnt deserve the Money. Baker has been underpaid for 3 years, he deserves a fair contract and I wouldn’t be upset if they paid him a little more knowing this. Id be okay with 55 per over 3 years. He is a good QB and I think he wants to be here unlike most QBs that are just in it for money.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:31 am
None of it matters. Just ask yourself, what would the Jets or the Cards pay him? Yes he loves Tampa, so did Mike Evans.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:33 am
Agreed SB-LV
They cant make the mistake of letting him play out the season. They have seen him play well for 3 years, they know his worth. And exactly my points about TB hasnt done anything to help him succeed. They have let every OC walk, and kept an inept HC that the greats dont want to play for. Mayfield will walk if everything gets blown up after this season. Im betting on it. Retain him now longterm. He wants to be a Buc, he is worth the money, good player, can’t make the same mistake as when they only signed Evans for 2 years. Gotta be 3 plus
June 7th, 2026 at 10:36 am
@ Ben
“Baker has been underpaid for 3 years, he deserves a fair contract”
Unfortunately this is not how a successful NFL team functions.
All that matters is today not yesterday…
Let’s not forget that Baker was one more bad season from being a UFL QB. He should be very thankful the Bucs were so desperate after TB12 retired.
The Bucs have gotten a pretty solid deal so far but so has Baker. I don’t believe the Bucs “owe” Baker anything more than what he is currently worth.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:36 am
One thing is for sure.. this negotiation is excellent for JBF. Want to light up the comments? Post anything about a potential Baker extension. Beers will be hurled further than the shouts between opposing Bucs fans. Meanwhile, JBF comments section lights up and the page views skyrocket.
Joe might owe Baker a beer after this is all said and done!
June 7th, 2026 at 10:37 am
“Baker isn’t that much better than Tua” ???? This is a joke right? If Tua was somewhat capable he’d still be in Miami. Wild take!
June 7th, 2026 at 10:41 am
Also for those wanting him to take less, he has been grossly underpaid the past 3 seasons in Tampa….to win a superbowl. He is currently the 2nd lowest paid QB ahead of Willis in Miami. So the Bucs have already gotten their discount.
He has proven already he can play Tampa needs to help him out more in finding him an OC or a HC that can help him grow. An offensive mind, not an inept D coach or an OC that will leave every year. That is on Tampa, not Mayfield.
Pay the guy, he deserves it esp if he is going to stay here. We were lucky to fibd him after Brady. This team hasnt drafted and developed a QB in 50 years!!!
June 7th, 2026 at 10:43 am
If 3 years for 150 was getting it done, it would be done.
Baker is being greedy. These negotiations always suck for fans because itās just 2 greedy entities on both sides battling. They will both end up with full pockets no matter what happens but we may suffer through 10 years of QB purgatory.
A matter of perspective but imagine a Florida team, where you can golf and lounge by the beach on off days, offering you $150 MILLION for 3 years. Most of us would give up a limb.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:47 am
@marine buc
Point I’m making is he is currently the 2nd lowest paid QB ahead of Willis who just signed a deal, otherwise he would be the lowest. That’s going into this season, not last or the year before. He is worth more. Don’t be afraid to pay him. And I disagree about the UFL comment, QBs succeed in different systems, as a football fan most understand this. Coaching and system matter! Tampa hasnt done him any favours letting every OC walk and promoting a bad one last year. That isn’t all on Mayfield. There are way worse QBs in this league, about 22 more imo. Haters will hate!
June 7th, 2026 at 10:54 am
@ Ben
I would be fine signing Baker to a deal for @ $150M for 3 years with @ $100M gtd…
If he wants more I would FT him for the 2027 season which would cost around $50M.
I’m not anti-Baker but he should NOT be one of the highest paid QBs in the NFL.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:55 am
Marine Buc is right on this one, and itās not only about Baker. Itās about who Mike T and the new GM want.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:57 am
And where is Tua now? And Daniel Jones? Is Jones going to start the season? Neither Miami or Indianapolis has a situation we want to emulate.
June 7th, 2026 at 10:58 am
With the franchise tag he’s really under contract for the next two years. For him that’s 90 million guaranteed. Cry me a river. For the Bucs it’s all it should be, a two year deal. If he wants a 3 year deal give it to him, but only 100 million guaranteed.
June 7th, 2026 at 11:02 am
Itās not about whether Baker is better than Tua. Individual QB numbers are poor benchmark. Example:how many guys have played better than Deshaun Watson but are compensated less?
The 16th ranked QB in terms of compensation is a more useful (albeit still incomplete) point for discussion. Being in the middle is not (IMHO) a sign of disrespect. Is it time for a raise? Sure. Is it time to torpedo the season looking for Josh Allen money? š¬
June 7th, 2026 at 11:03 am
Not sure you can use the Tua crummy contract as a comparison. In fact, the Bucs should try to avoid the Tua travestyā¦cut with an enormous cap hit and total tear down. Itās a little disappointing that Baker is flexing a bit given his shaky season in 2025. Somewhere in the 45-50 million for 3-4 years seems reasonable. This is heading towards a stalemate me thinks.
June 7th, 2026 at 11:13 am
Iām a Baker fan, but the last half of last season scared the crap out of me. Youāll hear people say he was hurt, we were playing with 3rd + string guards, our offense coordinator sucked, etcā¦if thatās the case the Bucs brass would know those facts and sign him. I think the Bucs want to make Baker play up to the contract he wants. The Bucs are protecting themselves from a massive over payā¦while keeping their 2027 head coach options open.
Go Bucs!!
June 7th, 2026 at 11:16 am
Mayfield and goff have basically the same stats the past few deasons even with mayfields ” collapse ” last season as you experts call it
June 7th, 2026 at 11:23 am
12 tds to 3 picks in the playoffs over 100qbr that tell me the TEAMS hes been on are just to blame
June 7th, 2026 at 11:24 am
5 playoffs games..,pay him!
June 7th, 2026 at 11:28 am
@ steve
Play-off games are nice.
However – play-off wins are much more important.
June 7th, 2026 at 11:31 am
Itās about the guarantees. Thatās it.
Just donāt commit to anything longer than 2 years.
Give him a 10 year deal as long as itās only 2.
June 7th, 2026 at 11:39 am
āMayfield and goff have basically the same stats the past few deasons even with mayfields ā collapse ā last season as you experts call itā
No they arenāt.
Goffs thrown for more scores
More yardage
Less turnovers
And longer periods of high performance
Goff doesnāt have the consistency issues Mayfield does, as a matter of fact Goffs consistency from the pocket is a lot of what makes him valuable. Protects the ball better too.
June 7th, 2026 at 11:45 am
Goff money
June 7th, 2026 at 12:15 pm
Trade Baker or sign him. Playing games with the money and years is stupid. Letting him play out the year with no extension is a sure way to give him a ME13 attitude and lose him for no compensation. You can tag him if you really want some bad attitude another year. Quit playing footsie with the man. He deserves better. He has always been more than reasonable with salary. Make a decision . Show some confidence in your vast GM knowledge one way or another instead of always cowardly CYA. Sign or trade.
June 7th, 2026 at 12:17 pm
Goff 5-5 in playoffs mayfield 2-3 ..look it up. 100tds to mayfield 90 plus..picks give or take a couple look it up past 4-5 seasons
June 7th, 2026 at 12:23 pm
Proof in the pudding !Mayfield right there open your eyes!
June 7th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
Thats not throwing in rushing
June 7th, 2026 at 12:27 pm
“Baker Mayfield has a 1-2 playoff record as a starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
June 7th, 2026 at 12:34 pm
Marine Buc … ‘Make Baker play out his current contract and see how things go. If things go well then franchise tag him for 2027 ($50M) and try to negotiate a longer term (3 yrs max) deal.’
I’m all for making ALL players play out their contracts rather than negotiating a new one a year early. In Baker’s case, he’s now been our QB for 3 years … 9-8 in 2023, 10-7 in 2024 and 8-9 in 2025. We made the playoffs in 2 of those 3 years, but we didn’t go anyplace; we were essentially a middle-of-the-pack team. No better, no worse.
Forget the money aspect. Is THAT what we really want? A middle-of-the-road team? Doesn’t that kinda sorta imply that your team leadership is middle-of-the-road also? And yes, that includes coaching AND your starting QB.
Baker’s QB record over his 8-year career is now 58-62 (sorry, but that’s generously middle-of-the-pack). IF he leads us to a Super Bowl victory (a big IF), it’ll be because the TEAM around him was Super Bowl caliber … offense, defense AND Special Teams.
Getting tired of hearing folks compare Mayfield’s salary to what other QBs are making WITHOUT doing an apples-to-apples comparison. For instance:
o Dak Prescott: $60 mil … 10 year QB Record: 83-55-1
o Joe Burrow: $55 mil … 6 year QB Record: 43-33-1
o Josh Allen: $55 mil … 8 year QB Record: 88-39
o Jordan Love: $55 mil … 5 year QB Record: 27-20-1
o Trevor Lawrence: $55 mil … 5 year QB Record: 35-42
o Tua Tagovailoa: $53.1 mil … 6 year QB Record: 44-32 (now with the Falcons making $1.3 mil on a 1-yr deal)
Interesting to notice that all those highly-paid QBs, except 1 (Trevor Lawrence), have WINNING RECORDS. Also interesting to notice how those 6 teams have been doing ever since they started paying their QBs BIG BUCKS (not all are kicking arse to say the least). IOW, Bucs’ fans need to be careful what we wish for.
June 7th, 2026 at 12:36 pm
Iād take Baker over Goff,,, Remember Goff had Johnson as OC a few years ,,, had a good Defense ,, had 2 great running backs(1 elite) , elite TE, Elite WRs ,, and a good line ,, as Far as Baker 2-3 playoff record,, I showed the list of current QBs and their playoff record,, Mahomes is the only one thatās really good ,, everyone else is 1 game over /under 500,,, itās hard to win in playoffs . Damn Justin Herbert (who I imagine most on this MB would take over Baker) is 0-3,,, Lamar is what 2-5,,, I can only figure w a healthy OLine,, healthy WRs,a solid running game, a better D and special teams, and ZR as OC the Bucs will be a noticeably better team this year
June 7th, 2026 at 12:42 pm
As the great Mike Florio says, “The market is the market.”
And, as Joe always types, what’s expensive today is a bargain tomorrow.
June 7th, 2026 at 12:44 pm
Thank you lightning, these people are delusional, sad to call them fans
June 7th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
First, Baker is an acquired taste.
He is going to excite you when he makes a heroic play. But, he is also going to leave you cussing when he holds onto the ball too long.
Some teams are big on discipline; are they going to pay Baker?
Smart teams know what it cost to put Baker in a winning situation. Are they going to break the bank and their team to get Baker?
Sure, some dumbass team will pay him a bundle, but he is going to spend a lot of time running for his life and getting pounded into the turf.
Second, who are you cutting to pay Baker?
He only plays one position – an important position that he plays well – but just one of many important positions.
Wirth and Mauch have contracts coming up. The talk is that Mauch will be a cap casualty. I would keep Mauch and Wirth first. Brady was past his prime, but he got the job done playing behind a solid offensive line with a solid supporting cast.
First, see how the Bucs do this year. If they only win 8 games, let Baker walk, not because only winning 8 games is his fault, but because the money needs to go other places if the Bucs only win 8 games.
If the Bucs win 12 games and make noise in the post season, give him the choice.
Stay with the Bucs for Franchise Player money, make a bundle in endorsement money, and keep playing on a winning team where the money is spread around where it is needed to keep it a winning team.
Or, make room for the next guy on a $10M contract who wants a shot on a solid TEAM and keep trying the formula that brought in success with Brady and Baker.
June 7th, 2026 at 1:22 pm
BIGZ you are wrong Stafford just signed a 1yr contract for 55mil not a 2 yr contract. Just like most on here spreading misinformation.
June 7th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
I love Baker. I am a long time Sooner fan as well, but the way I see it the bucs must 1st
Establish whether Bowles will return next year. If they have a new coach he will most likely want a new quarterback and we will then be in a total rebuild.
June 7th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
Defense Rules,
Matt Stafford record with the Lions was 74-90-1. They were a trash team for his entire time there. Goes to the Rams with Sean McVay firmly entrenched as a successful coach and Staffordās record there is 46-28. Jared Goff was 42-27 with the Rams, goes to the Lions who were in rebuild mode with Dan Campbell having just been hired and go 3-13 in their first year together. The Lions build a super roster under Campbell and have gone 45-20 since. If that doesnāt prove context matters, I donāt know what does. Baker was 29-30 with a trash organization in Cleveland. They were beginning to put that team together and had some success and they proceeded to dismantle it. Now heās on a team that has been trying to transition from the great Brady years and have gone 27-24 since 2023. Heās had little stability his entire career. Burrow, Allen, Jackson, Mahomes have had that stability since day one. Herbert has been great individually but heās yet to play for a great team. They will build that with Harbaugh so the best of Herbert I think is around the corner. Same with Lawrence. Dak has won lots of games with the Cowboys starting from 2016 when he succeeded Tony Romo. Heās had teams around him that should have been good enough at times to go a lot further in the playoffs than they have.
June 7th, 2026 at 1:48 pm
@ DR
“Forget the money aspect. Is THAT what we really want? A middle-of-the-road team? Doesnāt that kinda sorta imply that your team leadership is middle-of-the-road also? And yes, that includes coaching AND your starting QB.”
I very much agree with this…
That’s my problem with giving Baker a new deal that is “top QB money”.
However –
Issue #1 – who do we replace him with?
Issue #2 – Seattle proved a team can win a SB with a mediocre QB and superior coaching/run game/defense.
We already have the mediocre QB. We just need the rest.
lol.
June 7th, 2026 at 1:58 pm
DR makes the case pretty clearly. No reason to give Mayfield a new deal now. Heās always better when heās in prove it mode anyway.
The downside to that scenario is, he plays great (or just well enough) and Bowles/Licht are retained.
This is a lost year for me.
June 7th, 2026 at 2:04 pm
Team records are not QB records. QB records are things like yards, TDS, and completion percentage. Baker excels at those. Put a team around him thatās healthy and we will win LOTS of games.
4 years, 220 million. 165 guaranteed. 50M signing bonus.
In a couple years, this contract will be a BARGAIN. Do it.
June 7th, 2026 at 2:05 pm
I would say we have an above average QB,,, not Average , not elite ,, in the middle ,, we should all hold judgment until ZR coaches him up this year ,, He played great w Coen,, Played not as great w Grizzz and played slightly above average w Canales,,, 2 were first time play callers , one was not and ZR is now seasoned . would be nice to be in the same system for 3 years in a row like some others
June 7th, 2026 at 2:22 pm
And DR how a team does is not necessarily reflective of how talented a QB is! There are a million factors behind how a team performs yearly that have nothing to do with a QBās performance. Looking solely at Bakerās numbers over three years he is top 5 in almost everything. That makes him an *elite* QB, and he fully deserves to be paid like one. Pay that man his money.
Or regret it, forever.
June 7th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
āAnd DR how a team does is not necessarily reflective of how talented a QB is!ā
If youāre QB throws 2 picks in 8 games
Then throws 9 in his last 9 games
You bet your butt how the team does is reflective of that.
The lengths you goto to absolve Baker Mayfield of anything that can be seen as poor play is amazing.
Itās not his fault the pass was too far ahead of a target or thrown into double/triple coverage, itās the 2 starting guards being out. Amirite?
June 7th, 2026 at 2:30 pm
Did you actually watch any of the games, Warren? The pressure up the middle was enormous and unrelenting every single game. Brady would have gone 2-7 also. Actually due to lack of mobility he might have been injured or did even worse.
June 7th, 2026 at 2:37 pm
āDak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys leads the NFL with an average annual salary of $60 million, closely followed by a tier of quarterbacks making $55 million per year, including Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers), and Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars). Rounding out the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks by average annual value (AAV) are Tua Tagovailoa ($53.1M), Jared Goff and Brock Purdy ($53M), Justin Herbert ($52.5M)ā¦ā
A great list of what NOT to do! The whole are a bunch of one and done QBās in the playoffs while some rarely make the playoffs. Iām telling you that the kid from Kansas will end up being our starting quarterback.
June 7th, 2026 at 2:57 pm
JL is going to F this up. Baker has the mistaken impression that JL has his best interests in mind. JL doesn’t give a damn about Baker. Make the deal sitting in a dive bar – get real Jason. Trying to act like they’re buddies. JL is trying to rip him off and Baker isn’t having it. JL is going to screw this up so Baker bolts like ME13 and we get no compensation. Baker knows they have complete control of his salary for ’26 and ’27. Though I doubt they really want to use the tag. 50 mil they pay immediately with no flexibility. They’ll let him go instead. They have too many FA to resign to eat that anchor.
Baker has a lot of pride. I doubt the snub will affect his play too much, but there is no telling how much damage a disgruntled leader can do in the locker room. Mike was screaming 3rd and 28. Imagine what Baker could do with turtle Todd holding back the offense and losing leads. Waiting the year out sounds good in theory, but Baker may not be happy with the lack of security. It also may affect his assessment of the management and the commitment to him and the team. JL has to put on his big boy pants and make the call. Hiding for a year won’t cut it. Monetary control is only a part of the equation.
June 7th, 2026 at 3:00 pm
Itās not just the sacks and the hits. Itās the tipped passes. Itās your own guards in your lap so you cannot step into passes and use proper footwork and timing. Itās lack of time to make decisions. Itās not being able to use most of the playbook as a result which in turn makes it really easy for defenses to clamp down on all the wide short passes and runs. All of that was painfully obvious. And it was a horrible situation to be in. Most non-tough competitors with real legitimate injuries would have sat out most of the late season games too.
Remember what really happened. Maybe a little more credit is due than you realize.
June 7th, 2026 at 3:00 pm
When you find stability at the QB position, the last thing you do is go shopping for another QB. Whether you like Baker or not, he represents stability at that position. The Bucs need to sign him to a deal that takes into consideration Bakerās market value and team needs, probably loaded with incentives to stay healthy.
June 7th, 2026 at 3:14 pm
I get the ānew coach, new qbā argument. Itās legitimate and grounded in logic.
However, what new coach wouldnāt want an established veteran whoās actually pretty good? Heās established he has no issues picking up new offenses and playing for new coaches.
If Iām the new coach I want the flexibility to find my guy in the draft but having baker as an option is super attractive.
June 7th, 2026 at 3:24 pm
I read something interesting. I have NOT verified if there are others but off the top of my head, it seems real. Caleb Williams led his to the playoffs having played for more head coaches than years in the league. Easy to calculate given he had 2 HC in his rookie year, went to the playoffs year 2 with his third HC.
In the SB era it had only happened three other times: Baker, Baker & Baker. Add to that he has NEVER played for the same OC two consecutive years in his career and it is surprising he had any success whatsoever.
Since none of that can be changed, not sure what it means going forward. Personally I would like to see him have yet another HC…not a fan of Todd Bowles.
As for the contract, give him $50/year for three years with a team option for a 4th year. That seems to be the market and with the cap going up as it is, that should be a number the Bucs can work with.
June 7th, 2026 at 3:33 pm
5 years, $237.5mil.
Works out to $47.5 mil per year.
This is a good range for Baker and the Bucs!
Set us up well for the future!