The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are staring down a pivotal offseason, and while most of the buzz around their 2026 NFL Draft plans centers on the defense, there’s a lingering question that’s hard to ignore: What’s the long-term plan at quarterback?
Baker Mayfield’s 2025 campaign was a rollercoaster - the kind that started with promise and ended with more questions than answers. For the first nine games, Mayfield looked sharp, tossing 16 touchdowns to just two interceptions.
He was efficient, decisive, and at times, electric. But the back half of the season told a different story.
Over the final eight games, he threw 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions, many of which came at critical moments. That late-season slump played a major role in Tampa Bay dropping seven of its last nine games and, for the first time this decade, surrendering the NFC South crown.
Mayfield is still under contract for 2026, but after that, he hits free agency. So while the front office may not be in panic mode, they have to be thinking about what comes next - and whether that means investing in a quarterback during this year’s draft.
Now, let’s be clear: Tampa Bay’s most pressing needs are on the defensive side of the ball. The Bucs finished 20th in points allowed last season, and there’s no shortage of areas they could target in the first round - whether it’s bolstering the interior line, adding edge pressure, shoring up the linebacker corps, or finding help in the secondary. That’s why most projections have them going defense early.
But this is the NFL Draft - seven rounds, not one. And that gives the Buccaneers room to think bigger picture. If the right quarterback prospect is sitting there in the middle rounds, it’s worth considering.
The challenge? This year’s quarterback class is murky at best.
Heading into the 2025 college season, several names were pegged as potential first-rounders: Drew Allar (Penn State), Cade Klubnik (Clemson), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU). But things didn’t quite pan out.
Allar missed a chunk of the season with injury, Klubnik and Nussmeier underwhelmed, and Sellers opted to stay in school.
Oregon’s Dante Moore made a strong push during the season and looked like he might rise up draft boards - but he, too, chose to return to school.
That leaves Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza as the clear frontrunner. He’s widely expected to go No. 1 overall, likely to the quarterback-hungry Las Vegas Raiders. After that, it’s a mixed bag.
Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss is an intriguing name. If he doesn’t win his eligibility battle with the NCAA, he’ll head to the draft.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks him as the No. 3 quarterback on his board, behind Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Chambliss could be a mid-round steal for a team willing to develop him - and the Bucs might just be that team.
Then there’s Allar. Despite the injury-shortened season, he’s still Kiper’s fourth-ranked QB.
That speaks to his upside and the flashes he showed when healthy. If he slips into the later rounds, Tampa could take a flyer, stash him behind Mayfield, and see what develops.
Bottom line: The Buccaneers may not be in the market for a first-round quarterback, but they’d be wise to keep their eyes open. With Mayfield’s future uncertain beyond 2026 and the current QB class lacking clear-cut depth, this draft could be an opportunity to quietly start planning for life after Baker - without sacrificing their short-term defensive goals.
It’s not about replacing Mayfield right now. It’s about being ready if and when the time comes.