With a nine-figure contract at stake, one analyst believes Baker Mayfield is poised to have the best season of his career.
Both Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their futures at stake this season.
After the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on an extension this offseason, the quarterback heads into the season with a potential nine-figure contract hanging in the balance.
The Bucs, meanwhile, will be depending on Mayfield to lead them back to the postseason after last season's collapse ended in an 8-9 record and watching the playoffs from home. Tampa's head coach, Todd Bowles, is already on the hot seat. Another disappointing year, and this will likely be his last as coach for the Bucs.
Luckily for both sides, this is not Mayfield's first rodeo when it comes to having to prove himself. After his ugly divorce from the Cleveland Browns after the 2021 season, Mayfield bounced between the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams before landing with Tampa.
With his NFL career in a downward spiral, the Bucs gave Mayfield an opportunity to re-establish himself as a capable starting QB on a modest one-year deal, with the added pressure of replacing Tom Brady.
He made his first career Pro Bowl in his first season with Tampa in 2023 and earned a three-year, $100 contract. The next year, Mayfield set career highs with 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and completed an astounding 71.4% of his passes, making another Pro Bowl.
Mayfield now has to prove he is worth a $50 million-per-year salary that is now seen as the baseline for franchise quarterbacks.
The Athletic believes he will once again come through when he has the most on the line. In an article making one "bold prediction" for each NFL team this season, Dan Pompei predicted that Mayfield will have the best performance of his career.
Combination Of Factors
Pompei thinks a combination of factors, including Mayfield's experience and the Bucs' hiring of Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator, are setting the QB up for success this season.
"Despite losing wide receiver Mike Evans, Mayfield is primed for a bounce-back season for numerous reasons. Injuries limited him in 2025, and he’s healthy again. At 31, he should be in a zone where peak ability meets high-level understanding, and his specialness should be enhanced by new game planner/play caller Zac Robinson. He also has extra motivation — Mayfield is playing out the last year of his contract. And even though Evans was his go-to before injury curtailed him last year, Mayfield still has plenty of inviting hands to throw to with Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, Tez Johnson and Ted Hurst vying for his passes. — Dan Pompei"
That extra motivation will play a key part in Mayfield's play this year. He is angry and has publicly stated that he feels "disrespected" and "undervalued" by the team.
Mayfield has vowed his contract situation will not affect his play and believes the Bucs will "shock a lot of people" by blowing past their modest expectations this season.
Final Thoughts
Mayfield always seems to play his best when he feels like he has something to prove. The chip on his shoulder will be especially big this year after the very public contract dispute he had with the club. If his career pattern holds, it is not unreasonable to think 2026 may be the best season of Mayfield's career.
The Bucs are depending on Mayfield to return them to the postseason this year. If Pompei's bold prediction comes true, Tampa has enough talent to do some damage if they reach the playoffs.
