Fair market value.
Unless he has a downright horrible 2025, Baker Mayfield isn’t going to be working on the cheap for much longer.
Over at ESPN, Dan Graziano looked every quarterback situation and, yes, that includes the Bucs.
Their situation is etched in stone. Mayfield is the franchise quarterback. And unless he gets hurt or he inexplicably goes downhill quickly, Mayfield will be your Tampa Bay quarterback for years.
Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht leans on Mayfield and Todd Bowles likes him. Mayfield’s teammates love him.
That doesn’t Mayfield will be the best bargain at quarterback in the league forever. Graziano explored Mayfield’s contract that runs through 2026 with 2025 being the final year of guaranteed cash.
The three-year contract that Mayfield signed with the Bucs last offseason pays him $33.3 million per year. He has $30 million coming this season and $40 million in 2026, though none of the 2026 money is guaranteed. The deal is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but consider that the top of the QB market right now is $55 to $60 million per year. Consider also that no quarterback in the NFL has thrown more touchdown passes over the past two regular seasons than Mayfield (69).
If Mayfield has another big season — with a third different offensive coordinator in three years — he could be in line for an even bigger contract extension next offseason.
If Mayfield plays the same as he has played the last two years, he’s not going anywhere. But Joe is pretty confident Mayfield might walk up to Licht and say, “Hey, Lama — HEY! How about a little something, you know, for the effort?“
In the meantime, Licht and capologist assistant general manager Mike Greenberg will whip up salary cap hocus pocus and find a way to give Mayfield a fair raise while also freeing up money under the cap.
Mayfield is just one of several players who will expect a payday in the next two years, including Calijah Kancey, Zyon McCollum, Luke Goedeke, Logan Hall and Cody Mauch, and hopefully Mike Evans and Lavonte David.
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