Baker Mayfield officially locked in a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, putting a massive marker down for quarterback compensation around the league. This wasn’t a quiet deal; it’s the Bucs reaffirming their commitment after a season that saw both the team and Mayfield take a step back.
“Undervalued” No More, But It Was a Rocky Road
For months, the talk around Mayfield was all about whether he’d get this extension, especially after his last deal from 2024 was coming up. Bucs general manager Jason Licht was clear last July, saying, “I love Baker. I love everything he’s done for us. The goal for us is for Baker to continue to be the player that he is, and at some point, we reach an extension when the time is right and he continues to be our quarterback for a long time. That’s the goal.” Sounds great, right?
But Mayfield himself wasn’t exactly thrilled leading into training camp, feeling “disrespected a little bit” and “undervalued” when a deal wasn’t getting done. He even told reporters, “This is not a ‘poor me’ thing. There’s a lot amount of people who have it way worse off. But I can sit here and look at other quarterbacks and peers and evaluate myself based on that and put myself in certain categories that I deserve to be compensated for that.”
He’s got a point. After far surpassing expectations in his first year, Mayfield absolutely balled out in 2024, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, leading the Bucs to win the NFC South. Yeah, 2025 saw the team finish 8-9 and Mayfield’s numbers dip to 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. But get this, his ESPN QBR actually went UP, finishing 12th compared to 13th in 2024! Injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who combined for only 17 appearances, definitely didn’t help that passing game.
What This Means for QBs Like Sam Darnold
Mayfield’s stock didn’t really drop off a cliff, though. The Athletic’s Mike Sando had him in Tier 2 for the second straight year in his annual QB tiers, and get this, he was tied for 14th with our own Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Sam Darnold! One exec even noted Mayfield probably “fluctuates from a 3 to a 2, with some (Tier) 1 games in there” but added some worry about his “reckless play style” and “wear and tear.”
So, what’s the takeaway? Baker’s got that undeniable self-assurance and creativity we saw at Oklahoma, even if he probably won’t ever fully live up to that No. 1 overall pick hype. The Bucs are basically saying, “Hey, we know he’s likely hit his ceiling as a fringe top-10 QB and probably won’t make a huge leap, but we don’t have a better option right now.” They’re playing it safe, taking the sure thing. This deal sets a really interesting benchmark for effective starting QBs in that Tier 2, especially when you consider where Sam Darnold sits right there with him.
As we head into Week 1 of the NFL season, this deal is a loud signal from Tampa Bay. It’s a massive investment in a guy who’s shown he can win, but also a pragmatic acknowledgment of his limits. For us here in the Emerald City, watching how Darnold performs this season and where he lands in those same tiers will be even more critical now. Let’s see what happens next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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