Comparison.
So Bucs fans, would you jump at the chance to pay the following quarterbacks if they suddenly became available?
* The first is the quarterback of America’s Team, Dak Prescott. He threw for the third-most yards and fourth-most touchdowns in the league last year.
* Or how about Justin Herbert, who may have the most talent of any quarterback in the league not named “Pat Mahomes?” Last year Herbert threw for just as many touchdowns as Baker Mayfield.
* Then there is Jordan Love, the Packers’ franchise quarterback. He had 23 touchdowns against just 6 picks last year.
Well, last night on “The Insiders,” seen weeknights on NFL Network, stats for the past three seasons for those three quarterbacks were displayed alongside Mayfield’s numbers. They were very similar.
Mayfield throws more touchdowns than those guys. Another difference is Prescott averaged some 24 yards passing per game more than Mayfield — yet those three quarterbacks get paid significantly more money than Mayfield.
Per Spotrac.com, Prescott is expected to earn an average of $60 million for 2026. Love is looking at $55 million. Herbert, $52 million.
Of those three quarterbacks, only Love has a playoff win the past three years, tied with Mayfield.
Speaking on “The Insiders” last night, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said Mayfield “would seem” to have $50 million a year as his rock bottom floor in negotiations with the Bucs.
Joe thinks that is fair.
Even if the Bucs and Mayfield can’t agree by Mayfield’s deadline (the start of training camp in 11 days), Rapoport thinks the Bucs would still be in a good place.
“I think if you the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s not ideal, but you know you are going to get the best version of [Mayfield],” Rapoport said.
As Joe has seen more closely in the Netflix series “Quarterback,” at no point can Mayfield ever be dogged for not giving 110 percent, even though physically there were times he had every reason to ease off the gas pedal.
That’s just the way Mayfield is wired.