‘A middle finger to the Buccaneers’ — NFL analyst unveils nuclear option that could see Baker Mayfield leave for an AFC North team
One notable talking head thinks the Bucs’ starting QB could leave for less money this offseason.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and starting quarterback Baker Mayfield were unable to get a long-term contract extension done before Mayfield’s self-imposed deadline of the start of training camp. As such, Mayfield will play the season on the final year of his deal, with the Bucs not being able to secure a deal with their starter until after the season.
That will certainly elevate speculation about how the negotiations go once the time arrives for the sides to pick them up again. Mayfield didn’t hold back his disappointment and frustration on not being able to get a deal done despite the high level of play he displayed, particularly in 2023-24. The details about what the offer came out in a cloudy fashion, with insider reports contradicting to some degree what Mayfield says he was offered.
In any event, one notable talking head sees Mayfield potentially exercising the option of taking less money and playing for someone else, in part as a way of thumbing his nose to the Bucs for not locking him down for what he felt he deserves.
Mike Florio went on “Pardon My Take on Monday”, and he mentions the Pittsburgh Steelers as a team Mayfield could end up with for potentially less money.
Mike Florio says Baker Mayfield could give Bucs the ‘middle finger’ and leave for less money to somewhere like the Pittsburgh Steelers
“Baker Mayfield is no different than the guy drafted by the Browns in 2018, and they pissed him off,” Florio said. “And what happens when you piss off Baker Mayfield? I could see this play out — and I know they talk about the franchise tag — but he’s going to have thirty million dollars in dead money that applies next year even before they would sign him or at least attach the franchise tag. The only way to deal with that thirty million is to work out an extension, and you can play salary cap games. If they tag him, they’re looking at nearly eighty million under the cap for him in 2027.
“I could see him getting to the open market. The Buccaneers believe — and I think this is why they haven’t gotten a deal done — they believe when, if, he gets a chance to go to the open market, they will always be offering more than anyone else. And once he’s a free agent, it doesn’t matter if somebody else is offering less. He could take less, just as a middle finger to the Buccaneers for not paying him when they had the chance.
“I could see him taking less money to go to Pittsburgh, to some other — like, Pittsburgh in the perfect — it just feels like the perfect destination for him.”
It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility. Mayfield is a passionate and fiery competitor who has a memory longer than a CVS receipt when it comes to perceived slights. And it doesn’t take much to believe he’s looking at this year as a slight.
We also have no idea who will be looking for QB play in free agency, nor what those offers might look like for him. Mayfield also has to back up that $50-per-year-level play this season after taking a step backwards in 2025.
But we saw Mike Evans leave for San Francisco for less money this offseason, which felt like nothing less than a loud statement made about his thoughts on the organization. So, Mayfield following suit and taking (somewhat) less to make a point certainly is something that can’t be discounted.
