Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is getting set to hit free agency next month, and he will surely be one of the most sought-after offensive players on the open market.
Mayfield played on a one-year, $4 million deal with the Buccaneers this past season in a show-me type of scenario, and he responded by enjoying what was probably the best year of his NFL career.
The 28-year-old threw for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing 64.3 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 94.6. Most importantly, he led Tampa Bay to an NFC South division title and a Wild Card Round playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mayfield is expecting to parlay his 2023 success into a lucrative new contract, and ESPN’s Jeff Darlington provided some details on what the University of Oklahoma product is looking for.
Darlington said on ESPN’s Get Up that Mayfield is seeking “market value,” which, according to Spotrac, puts him in the neighborhood of $27.1 million annually over four years.
The Bucs could always slap a franchise tag on Mayfield, but that would run them over $35 million in 2024. They have until March 5 to decide what they want to do with Mayfield in that category.
Of course, even if the Buccaneers allow Mayfield to get to free agency, it does not mean that they will not be re-signing him.
It’s entirely possible that Tampa Bay would rather have Mayfield on a longer contract and pay him less money next season than simply go with a one-year deal on a franchise tag, as that would inhibit what the Bucs could do to improve the roster around him this offseason.
We’ll find out soon what the Bucs decide to do with Baker Mayfield. It will definitely be one of the more interesting storylines of the next several weeks.
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