Could Baker Mayfield play for the Pittsburgh Steelers next season?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been urged to keep tabs on Tampa Bay Buccaneers star QB Baker Mayfield during the 2026 season by NFL analyst Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.
The Buccaneers and Mayfield did not reach a new contract agreement before the start of training camp. Mayfield is set to play out the final year of his contract and he isn't particularly happy with the offers Tampa Bay made him.
Mayfield is now set to hit the market in 2027. There's a chance he could be on a team next season, and maybe things get really bad between Mayfield and the Buccaneers, leading the former No. 1 overall pick to request a trade.
Aaron Rodgers will retire from the NFL after the 2026 season, so the Steelers will need a new QB in 2027 and Knox thinks Mayfield could be an option for Pittsburgh.
"While Mayfield has gone just 2-3 in the playoffs, he's performed well (105.9 postseason QB rating) and delivered wins, something the Steelers haven't had in nearly a decade," Knox wrote.
For Tampa Bay last season, Mayfield put up 3,693 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns. He's one of the top QBs in the NFL.
Rodgers put up 3,322 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. The future Hall of Famer completed 65.7% of his passes.
A four-time MVP, Rodgers hasn't won a playoff game since the 2020 season, while the Steelers haven't won a postseason game since the 2016 season.
Rodgers has been in the NFL since 2005. He has played for the Green Packers, New York Jets and Steelers and has 527 career passing touchdowns and 66,274 career passing yards in the regular season.
New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV against Pittsburgh as members of the Packers. Rodgers called it a "full circle" moment to play for McCarthy again.
It will be interesting to see who is under center for the Steelers in 2027. Will Howard, Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph aren't better than Mayfield, so Pittsburgh should be interested in Mayfield if he doesn't get an extension done with the Bucs.
