Bucs’ resurgence could lead to new deal for Baker Mayfield

Greg Auman

NFC South Reporter

One more win, whether it’s at home Sunday against the Saints or in the finale against the Panthers, will give the Bucs the NFC South division title for a third year in a row.

And given the uncertainty surrounding Tampa Bay entering this season, it should lock up an increasingly compelling case for Baker Mayfield to be re-signed as the Bucs’ quarterback moving forward. That will be for substantially more than the $4 million, one-year deal he signed with Tampa Bay this spring, making him one of the league’s bargain signings.

The former No. 1 overall pick, now 29, has reestablished himself as a starting NFL quarterback, guiding the Bucs to four straight wins after they stumbled to six losses in seven games in a midseason slump. Mayfield has already thrown for 26 touchdowns — one short of his career high — against only eight interceptions, arguably his best NFL season and perhaps the best ever for a Bucs quarterback not named Tom Brady.

“I feel really good about where I’m at, seeing the field,” Mayfield said Wednesday. “I think just being in the system for a bit now and getting comfortable with it, that’s what happens. Once you get comfortable in the system, you can truly grow and see the improvements, and I think that’s where we’re at right now.”

While both sides have said real discussions will wait until after the season, there’s a clear mutual desire to have Mayfield stick around beyond 2023. What might a Mayfield contract look like? The closest comp for a veteran quarterback and former first-round pick resetting himself as a solid starter might be Geno Smith, who did much the same with Seattle last year. Smith was three years older than Mayfield is now, and didn’t have as much success as Mayfield had as a starter, but he had played on a one-year, $3.5 million contract before his breakout season, and was rewarded with a three-year, $75 million deal.

Others have suggested that…

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Publish date : 2023-12-28 15:23:41

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