Tuesday the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield reached an agreement on a contract extension. After much talk and negotiation it had appeared that the two parties were at an impasse. However, the day before the NFL regular season kicked off they finally agreed on terms.
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This comes as a relief in many ways. Mayfield had been vocal about wanting an extension and his disappointment and frustration in not getting one. He had even drawn a line in the sand saying that he would not negotiate with the Bucs after the start of training camp.
However, that line in the sand washed away quickly once Mayfield was offered the deal he was looking for. Those numbers are an extension for three more years and $165 million dollars with $110 guaranteed. We don’t know exactly how it will be structured yet, but it essentially looks like a two year extension that is fully guaranteed with a team option year.
This tied Mayfield at the third highest paid quarterback in the NFL in terms of average salary per year. That number might make you feel uneasy considering that he isn’t the third best quarterback in the NFL, nor is he close to that. If you were to rank Mayfield anywhere from the 8th best quarterback to the 15th best quarterback in the NFL and there is a case to be made.
So now the question becomes, was this the right move? It’s a fair question in a move that has risks, but ultimately the Mayfield extension with the Buccaneers will be defined by three simple words… Win. Playoff. Games.
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Many would say that this move was necessary. Mayfield has done well with the Bucs and has earned a contract extension. Over the last three years with the team he ranks 2nd in the NFL in passing touchdowns and 3rd in passing yards.
It’s impossible to say that Mayfield hasn’t been a good quarterback in Tampa. In fact, he’s been one of the best quarterbacks in franchise history. In just three seasons he already ranks 7th all time in team history in passing yards and 3rd in passing touchdowns. He will very likely claim the top spot in both categories in the next two years.
This has been a big part of the Buccaneers maintaining their place at the top of the NFC South in recent years after Tom Brady retired. Mayfield led the Bucs to division crowns in 2023 and 2024 before falling short last season due to a tie breaker. He has been successful by both individual and team measurements.
This success has made him very popular amongst the fanbase. And on top of that his gritty, “leave it all out on the field” style of play has made this guy is down right beloved in Tampa. This is true of the fans and of his teammates.
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These kinds of things have to matter, don’t they? Making team history. A fan favorite.
You can bet your sweet biscuits that they don’t matter to me.
Mayfield doesn’t get extra credit because the Bucs have a terrible history at quarterback. And it’s nice that he’s cool and likeable, but I would take a dull boring quarterback any day of the week if he gave my team a better chance to win. All of this stuff is a bonus, but not the main thing.
In the end, this contract being good or bad will be defined by three simple words.
Win. Playoff. Games.
That is the ultimate goal and if you win enough of them then you win a Super Bowl.I believe that Mayfield can and will do that over the next few years. However, if he doesn’t then making him the third highest paid quarterback in the NFL was a bad choice.
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Perhaps this is overly simplistic, but the reality is that quarterbacks often get too much credit when they win and too much blame when they lose. And if this team fails to win playoff games under Mayfield’s extension then his tenure is a failure.
Afterall, Mayfield has been surrounded by talent in Tampa. He’s had Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, a great offensive line and now emerging young pass catchers like Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan. He’s also had a defense that has been top ten or at worst middle of the road in each of his playoff appearances.
Bottom line, Mayfield is in a great situation. He is now paid to be a great quarterback. It is put up or shut up time. This extension with the Bucs will be defined in those three little words: win playoff games.
The Buccaneers have bet on Mayfield. Now we will sit back and see if that bet pays off.
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