Did Buccaneers Make a Mistake Extending Baker Mayfield Before the Season?

Three years, $165 million.

That was the contract extension that Baker Mayfield signed to continue being the franchise quarterback right before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicked off the 2026 season.

And now, just two games and two losses in, it's starting to look as if it was a massive overpay.

Was Extending Baker Mayfield Before the Season a Mistake?

The short answer here would be yes, given Mayfield's play early in the season. However, there are some underlying positives that could make all this early-season negative talk a moot point.

Statistically, Mayfield's $55 million per year is a huge overpay. Since 2024, his best statistical season under Liam Coen, Mayfield has the most fumbles of any quarterback (27) and has the second-most interceptions (28).

And through just two games this season, Mayfield has the third-worst expected points added (EPA) at -21.15, ranks 28th in passing yards (398), T-28th in passing touchdowns (1), 21st in passer rating (86.6), 25th in yards per attempt (6.4), first in fumbles lost (3) and has taken the ninth most sacks (7).

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield — Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While most of Mayfield's stats show that he is not living up to the billing per his extension, there are some positives that suggest otherwise.

Despite his fumbles, Mayfied has only thrown one interception through two games and has a 71% completion percentage.

Those aren't numbers to hang one's hat on, especially given that he hasn't looked all that great being able to push the ball down the field. But it's something.

Amid the contract drama this offseason, Mayfield let everyone know that it would be all about ball until after the season. That didn't happen, with a contract coming just days before the start of the season.

Did that cause Mayfield to feel more comfortable and take away that edge that we have come to love? Maybe, but doubtful.

A bigger aspect of it is that offensive coordinator Zac Robinson isn't handing him all the answers to the test like Dave Canales and the previously mentioned Coen did. This has led to Baker having to diagnose things to make the picture clearer for him, rather than just having to understand his progressions.

On top of that, his receivers have struggled to get separation on intermediate routes, which has limited how efficient the offense could be and turned what could be a balanced attack into one that is dink-and-dunk and before taking deep shots.

There are a ton of areas where everyone can improve to help the offense out. But until we see improvement, Mayfield will be at the center of the barrage of speculation, given what all unfolded this offseason.

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