The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Baker Mayfield before the 2023 NFL Season, and I am not sure many people thought much about it, but Mayfield turned out to be a great investment, as he had a breakout year in 2023 and earned a short-term extension with the team.
Now in his third year, Mayfield and the Bucs have regressed a bit, but that regression has primarily come on the defensive side of the ball, and the injuries have piled up on both sides as well. GM Jason Licht has built a great team, but injuries can abruptly stop all of that.
With Mayfield playing on a deal that might not compensate him fairly, the Buccaneers are going to have to make a pretty sizeable decision one way or another, but the correct decision to make is painfully obvious.
The Buccaneers need to reinvest into QB Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield is one of the more interesting QBs in the NFL, but he's remade himself on the Buccaneers and has consistently been one of the most productive passers in the NFL. Since arriving in Tampa back in 2023, here are his career stats with the franchise:
26-20
11,144 yards
66.6% completion
88 touchdowns
31 interceptions
98.8 passer rating
Mayfield has been on a wicked pace since 2023, and he's actually thrown for the second-most touchdown passes and third-most yards during this timeframe. His passer rating is the seventh-higest during this stretch as well.
To be blunt, what more could fans or the front office want from Baker Mayfield? The regression this year is not close to being his fault, and, if you are in favor of the team moving on from the veteran QB, who does Tampa replace him with?
There is no clear-cut, immediate upgrade, and with the team's roster being in a very good spot when healthy, the only correct, logical option here is to extend Baker Mayfield for two, three more seasons. He's proven to be one of the best QBs in the NFL and has found a new home here in Tampa.
Furthermore, according to Over The Cap, an extension for Mayfield would open up $20,560,000 in additional cap space for the Buccaneers. Sure, if a desperate team came calling about a trade, and the offer was strong, you'd have to consider it, but that feels unlikely.
Tampa needs to realize how good they have it with Baker Mayfield offer him an extension after the 2025 NFL Season.