It was a massive increase from Mayfield’s one-year, $4 million contract in 2023, when he revitalized his career by taking over for Tom Brady and led the Buccaneers to their third consecutive NFC South division title.
According to ESPN’s Seth Walder, the Buccaneers may have overpaid for Mayfield with the new contract, despite Walder awarding the Buccaneers a “B” overall for their summer actions.
“Mayfield signed for a deal that can be one year for $40 million, two for $60 million or three for $100 million,” according to Walder. “It’s a little more than I expected them to spend.” Though he had a rebound season in which he placed 18th in QBR, there’s a reason Tampa Bay was able to get Mayfield for a one-year contract worth $4 million last year. Would anyone have surpassed the $27 million guarantee the Bucs gave Geno Smith a year ago? I would have loved to have seen Mayfield do it again, with a different offensive coordinator after Dave Canales was hired as the Panthers’ head coach, before paying him $40 million.
Breaking down Mayfield’s Career Year in 2023
In classic Mayfield form, he achieved the $100 million payoff in the most theatrical way possible.
The Cleveland Browns’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield was on his fourth team in three years with the Buccaneers in 2023, and by Thanksgiving, he appeared to be done in Tampa Bay.
Following a 27-20 loss to the lowly Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 26, the Buccaneers were 4-7 and appeared to be on course for a Top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – as well as a new quarterback. That’s when Tampa Bay turned the NFL on its head, winning five of their final six games to finish 9-8 and qualify for the playoffs.
Mayfield was excellent down the stretch, with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in the past six games, including four games without a turnover. He finished the season by guiding the Buccaneers to a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round, going 22-of-26 passing for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Do the Buccaneers have a backup plan at quarterback?
Mayfield has started the majority of games in each of his six NFL seasons heading into 2024, with a career record of 40-46, albeit 2023 was only his second winning season, following an 11-5 season with the Browns in 2020.
The Buccaneers lack a solid backup quarterback plan in case Mayfield falters or is injured. Backup Kyle Trask, a second-round pick in 2021, has only appeared in three games over the last three seasons, going 3-of-10 passing for 23 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Third-string quarterback John Wolford may be more suited to start in a pinch, having gone 2-2 as a starter with the Los Angeles Rams from 2019 to 2022.
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