Why Bucs fans have 8.5 million reasons to root for a Baker Mayfield rebirth
Baker Mayfield came into the league with high expectations – and a high contract. As the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, he got quite the pay day, signing a 4-year, $32,682,980 deal, with an average annual salary of $8,170,745. If Mayfield can earn that in 2023, then Bucs fans will be singing the […]
Baker Mayfield came into the league with high expectations – and a high contract. As the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, he got quite the pay day, signing a 4-year, $32,682,980 deal, with an average annual salary of $8,170,745.
If Mayfield can earn that in 2023, then Bucs fans will be singing the praises of one of the greatest comeback stories in recent memory.
Mayfield signed a one year, $4 million fully guaranteed contract in March with the Bucs, which comes out to a base salary of $1.125 million and a signing bonus of $2.875 million. However, he can earn up to an additional $4.5 million in incentives. Per the 33rd team, Mayfield's contract escalators stagger depending on his percentage of playing time and the team's success, naturally.
If Mayfield wins the starting QB job and plays 66% of the offensive snaps in 2023, he will earn an additional $500,00. If that percentage increases to 75%, then bonus rises to $750,000. At 85%, he would instead earn $1 million.
But the real spike comes if the team does what the fans have gotten used to over the last three years: compete in the playoffs. If Mayfield plays 66% of the snaps AND the team makes the playoffs, the bonus bumps up from $500,000 to $1 million. The bonus also doubles for the 75% and 85% thresholds, or $1.5 million and $2 million, respectively.
If Baker plays 75% of the snaps on the season and at least 75% in each playoff game, then he would earn an additional $250,000 per playoff game with a $1 million cap. Lastly, if he ends up in the top 10 of the NFL – or top 5 in the NFC – in five different passing statistical categories, he can earn an additional $300,000 per category, or an additional $1.5 million.
Yes, it's highly unlikely, if not nearly impossible, for Mayfield – seeking to reinvent himself in Tampa Bay – to hit ALL of those marks. That being said, if the Bucs can take advantage of a still-weak division, Dave Canales' offense suits Baker to a T, Chris Godwin regains his explosiveness as he's indicated so far this offseason, and the mostly-intact defense plays to the level it can, then the playoffs are absolutely not out of the question for the Bucs this fall.
And if that happens, then it's a win-win-win: for the Bucs, their fans, and Mayfield's wallet.
Featured image via Buccaneers YouTube channel
