The Buccaneers may be headed for a tricky quarterback decision in 2027, and Baker Mayfield’s next contract could end up shaping the whole thing.
If Mayfield doesn’t land a new deal with Tampa Bay until after the 2026 season, the Bucs would, in theory, hold exclusive negotiating rights with him until the opening of the negotiating window in March. By that point, Mayfield could be ready to test the market and see what kind of value he can command for 2027. His agents may already have a sense of the possibilities.
One obvious lever is the franchise tag. Based on a 2026 cap number of $39.975 million, the 2027 tag would come in at $47.7 million. Spotrac notes that Mayfield’s current deal carries a $30.15 million dead-money charge for 2027, which would push his cap hit to $77.85 million if Tampa Bay used the tag.
The Bucs could also tag him and then trade him, though that would require carrying the extra $47.7 million in cap space until a deal gets done.
Or they could simply let him hit the open market and see what he’s worth.
That’s where the conversation gets more interesting. ESPN reported that Mayfield’s camp has pointed to quarterbacks already sitting above $50 million in average annual value: Jordan Love at $55 million, Trevor Lawrence at $55 million, and Brock Purdy at $53 million.
Those kinds of numbers have generally gone to quarterbacks drafted and developed by the team handing out the money. Veterans who reach that level on the open market are a different story.
It does happen, though. Kirk Cousins has done it twice.
When he left Washington, the Vikings made him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL in 2018. Two years ago, the Falcons gave him $45 million per year.
What happens in early 2027 will depend a lot on what Mayfield does this season. A stronger year would raise his price and make Tampa Bay more likely to find a way to tag him. And that’s the loop the Bucs could get stuck in: the more he looks like a bank-breaking free agent, the more sense the tag starts to make.
There’s also the possibility that Mayfield’s decision to take a flamethrower to the Bucs was more than just Baker being Baker, and instead a calculated push to make Tampa Bay want to move on.
If that’s the case, the Buccaneers need a real answer at quarterback for 2027. Right now, the options on the roster are Jake Browning, Jalon Daniels, and Connor Bazelak.
That only sharpens the point: if Mayfield leaves, they’ll have to find a new starter.
There’s still plenty of time before any of this becomes real. But once the season starts, it will move fast.
And before long, the question won’t just be what the market says about Baker Mayfield. It’ll be whether Tampa Bay is done with him.
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In the end, the Bucs passed on the extra draft capital and stayed at 15 to take Rueben Bain Jr., a choice that makes sense when viewed through how highly they had him graded. The video only deepens the debate because it confirms Tampa Bay had real options on the table, and it also shows the franchise was willing to trust its board and chase a player it clearly believed was worth more than the trade-down package. [Read more 🡒]