Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield Linked To Super Bowl QB Contract

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have addressed most of their significant roster questions this offseason already. They picked up some starters in free agency, like linebacker Alex Anzalone, and they drafted some much-needed defensive talent, such as edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., linebacker Josiah Trotter and nickel corner Keionte Scott, among others.

There is one more thing to potentially take care of, though — an extension for their quarterback. General manager Jason Licht has made it abundantly clear that he'd like to keep QB Baker Mayfield around for the long haul, and strong campaigns from him in 2023, 2024 and the beginning of 2025 have made both sides eager to get a deal done.

That deal could happen this offseason, but the question will be just how much it'll cost. NFL reporter Jason La Canfora spoke to an anonymous personnel executive, and he tied a potential extension to a contract currently held by the reigning Super Bowl champion at quarterback.

Could Baker Mayfield get a Sam Darnold contract?

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) drops back to pass against the New England Patriots | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

An anonymous NFL executive told La Canfora that if he were the Buccaneers, he'd try to make Mayfield's contract similar to that of Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.

“I’d try to get a short-term deal, structures like what Seattle did with [Sam] Darnold," the anonymous executive said. "I think there are some similarities with the players. You worry about the interceptions, can they get you over the top? It’s not totally similar, and Darnold was on the market and this is an extension. That’s the structure I would be looking at.”

Darnold signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks in 2025. On the surface, the contract pays out an average of $33.5 million a year, which is already around what Mayfield gets — however, it's more like a two-year, $70 million deal due to how his bonuses work. That would put Darnold at about $45 million a year, and Mayfield is probably set to get more than that.

Any Mayfield extension would probably cost north of $50 million a year. There are exactly 10 quarterbacks that make more than that per year in the NFL, and some players — like Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, both of whom make $53 million a year — will be a target point for a Mayfield extension. Something in the $45 million range, like the anonymous executive mentioned, would certainly be a boon for Tampa Bay, especially if it is structured similarly.

The Bucs might be wise to wait on a Mayfield extension, and Mayfield could play himself into a higher payday if he performs very well in 2026. That being said, both sides appear to be eager to get something done, and it seems as if it will happen at some point in the offseason sooner rather than later.

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