Will The Buccaneers Re-Sign Baker Mayfield? 2024 Offseason Outlook

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023. The organization will now have to decide if he was impressive enough to view him as the quarterback of the future.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft flashed a ton of upside in his four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, but Deshaun Watson ultimately replaced him. In 2022, he delivered mixed results with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. The Buccaneers brought him in to replace a freshly-retired Tom Brady, and he led the team to a playoff victory. Quarterback contracts are costly in today's NFL, so Mayfield's offseason is worth monitoring.

Will Tampa Bay re-sign Mayfield for the 2024 season? How much could Mayfield earn if he's extended? Let's dive into it.

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Baker Mayfield 2023 Season Review

Mayfield competed with Kyle Trask for the starting quarterback job this offseason, and he won and held onto the QB1 role from start to finish. The 28-year-old set career-highs in completion percentage (64.3), passing yards (4,044), and passing touchdowns (28). More importantly, he led the Bucs to five wins in their last six regular season games after a 4-7 start and clinched the NFC South.

In the Wild Card Round against the Philadelphia Eagles, Mayfield threw for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in a 32-9 win. Against Detroit in the NFC Divisional Round, he threw for 349 yards and three touchdowns, but he had a costly interception late in the fourth quarter to end Tampa Bay's season.

Ultimately, it was a successful campaign, as Tampa Bay improved by one win in the regular season and won a playoff game -- unlike in 2022 with Tom Brady at the helm.

Will The Buccaneers Re-Sign Baker Mayfield?

The Buccaneers and Mayfield reportedly have a mutual interest in him returning to the team for the 2024 season. The Buccaneers have multiple options to bring him back. The team can offer him a long-term deal, a short-term deal with an out after the 2024 season, or they can use the franchise tag on him.

Mayfield played on a one-year, $4 million deal this season, and the franchise tag for quarterbacks is expected to pay roughly $35 million in 2024 (Spotrac). Mayfield's market value, as projected by Spotrac, is a four-year $108.5 million deal ($27.1 million annually).

That said, Tampa Bay might want to offer Mayfield a contract similar to Geno Smith and Jimmy Garoppolo from last season. Both quarterbacks signed a three-year $75 million deal with a potential out this offseason. One way or another, it seems like Mayfield will be back with the organization next season.

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