NFL Insiders Believe Baker Mayfield Could Sign A $40 Million Per Year Deal This Offseason

Baker Mayfield signed a one-year "prove it" deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. He’ll likely sign a far more lucrative contract during this offseason.

Mayfield surpassed expectations in Tampa Bay during the 2023-24 campaign. He finished 9th in passing yards with 4,044 and had a 29-10 touchdown-interception ratio. Furthermore, he earned a playoff win over Philadelphia and got within one possession of advancing to the NFC Championship game. Not a bad season for a guy who signed a $4 million deal.

But Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline believes Mayfield’s yearly earnings could be ten times higher in the 2024 season.

After Pauline attended the Senior Bowl and discussed this matter with other NFL experts, he believes Mayfield’s contract could be worth up to $40 million per year. He said that if Daniel Jones and Deshaun Watson can get that kind of money, Mayfield might get those numbers as well.

Jan 21, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) passes the ball against Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (2) during the second half in a 2024 NFC divisional round game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

"Mayfield is coming off a great season, and quarterback contracts overall will continue to rise as the salary cap continues to rise," Pauline said. "The prevailing thought from many is that $40 million a year in 2024 is the equivalent of $34 million a year ago."

Should Mayfield get that high of a contract, he’d tie Jones, Matthew Stafford, and Dak Prescott, for 10th most in the league (based on last year’s numbers).

But that’s not the only factor Pauline mentioned. The Atlanta Falcons hired Tampa Bay’s former offensive coordinator Raheem Morris to be their new head coach last month. 

Since Atlanta might want to reset at quarterback (since Desmond Ridder ain't it), who better to sign than Morris’ old quarterback? That would be great for Atlanta, but not so much for Tampa Bay. As such, that will affect Mayfield’s value.

Frankly, $40 million seems a lot for a guy who had his first solid season in recent memory. But in today’s market, that’s sometimes what you got to pay for a good quarterback.