The contract stalemate between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield has become one of the biggest stories in the NFL.
The hype is a tad overblown, as Mayfield still has to play out this entire season before free agency becomes a possibility. Even then, if all else fails, Tampa Bay can utilize the franchise tag next offseason to keep him for another year.
Negotiations would have to absolutely fall apart for there to be any chance of Mayfield leaving the Buccaneers, but it’s still worth exploring which teams could emerge as threats to pry Mayfield out of Tampa Bay.
The Indianapolis Colts are a sneaky team to watch in the quarterback market next offseason.
Colts could target Baker Mayfield in free agency if Daniel Jones has a disappointing season
You might be wondering how Baker Mayfield is even an option for Indianapolis, considering the Colts just inked their quarterback Daniel Jones to a two-year, $88 million deal this offseason.
But his contract is structured to give the Colts an out if 2026 goes downhill. Jones has $50 million fully guaranteed for the 2026 season.
But for 2027, while he’s set to earn $38 million, only a measly $10 million is guaranteed.
Jones is recovering from a torn Achilles that he suffered in Week 14 last season. The Colts showed enough faith in him to make him their starter in 2026, but they also structured the contract to leave themselves flexibility if Jones regresses — especially after such a significant injury.
Jones followed a surprisingly similar path to Mayfield in 2025.
He led the Colts to a 7-1 record in the first half, but they went 1-4 over the next five games before his injury, closing out his season with an 8-5 record.
Mayfield similarly led the Bucs to a 6-2 first half record before they collapsed and finished 8-9.
But Mayfield has been a better, more consistent quarterback than Jones througout their careers. If the Colts QB has a down year, Indianapolis could be an attractive landing spot for Mayfield.
They’re home to offensive guru head coach Shane Steichen, and have some capable pieces on offense including Jonathan Taylor, Alec Pierce, and Tyler Warren.
The Bucs need to do whatever it takes to get a deal done before Mayfield’s deadline, and ensure that hitting the open market isn’t even a possibility next offseason.
There’s plenty of appealing suitors on the market, and plenty of teams will be willing to dish out a lucrative contract for Mayfield if the Buccaneers aren’t willing to do it themselves.
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