There will be more Baker Mayfield for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the NFC South division franchise getting the quarterback a staggering $100 million extension contract with a $50 million guarantee.
Mayfield’s new contract with the Bucs is as stunning as it is inspiring, considering that the quarterback looked, at some point in his journey in the NFL, as though his time in the league was over, particularly when he got cut by the Carolina Panthers in December of 2022.
But Mayfield persevered and stayed confident in his abilities. Now that mentality and his efforts on the field in the 2023 NFL season have been rewarded with a hefty contract (via . ESPN).
“Mayfield’s agent, Tom Mills, said in a statement to ESPN’s Jenna Laine that after his client was waived by the Panthers, ‘he never complained and always believed in himself. This contract is a result of that attitude, as well as his ability. He, [his wife] Emily and I are grateful to the Buccaneers for giving him the opportunity to continue his career.’”
After he was released by the Panthers, Mayfield was claimed off the waivers by the Los Angeles Rams, with whom he spent the remainder of the 2022 campaign. In the subsequent offseason, the former No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns inked a one-year, $4 million deal with the Buccaneers, who were willing to give Mayfield a shot after Tom Brady’s decision to retire.
Mayfield is obviously not Brady, but he exceeded expectations in 2023, as he led the Buccaneers to a 9-8 record, a division title, and an appearance in the postseason.