Baker Mayfield may be line to become one of the dozen or so highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mayfield continues to negotiate a new contract extension with the team. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports this week that an extension in the range of $50 million per year would be the expected “benchmark” for Mayfield’s new deal.
Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall pick, recently turned 31 years old. He has been the QB in Tampa Bay for the last three seasons now, making two Pro Bowl teams and emerging as one of the best leaders at his position at the NFL.
As it stands right now, Mayfield can become a free agent after the 2026 season as he is entering the final year of his three-year, $100 million contract with the team. It does not appear that Mayfield will be negotiating any further with Tampa Bay this year either if they cannot get a deal done before July 28 (when training camp opens for Buccaneers veteran players).
Patrick Mahomes ($64 million per year) and Dak Prescott ($60 million) are currently the highest-paid QBs in the NFL by average annual value. Meanwhile, 10 other signal-callers (Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, Brock Purdy, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts) are also making in excess of $50 million per year.
Mayfield, coming off a down-ish 2026 season in which he threw for 3,693 yards with 26 TDs to 11 interceptions, expressed some doubts about his long-term future with the Buccaneers just last month. If a deal does get done though in the coming days, it will likely be hitting that $50 million per year mark for Mayfield.
