Bucs rival favored to sign Baker Mayfield in free agency
Aug 26, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) looks on against the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports
Baker Mayfield had a resurgence last season and is set to be a free agent in March. He has expressed interest in returning to Tampa Bay, but things between him and the Buccaneers would need to be worked out. The 28-year-old could test the market, and there are plenty of teams that could be interested in him.
Sportsbetting.ag has listed the odds for Mayfield’s next team if it’s not the Bucs. They have Tampa Bay’s NFC South rival the Atlanta Falcons favored to add Mayfield at 4/1 odds. The Seattle Seahawks at 5/1 are next on the list, followed by the Chicago Bears at 6/1.
You can see the favored teams here, though we only included teams with odds lower than 10/1.
Atlanta Falcons 4/1
Seattle Seahawks 5/1
Chicago Bears 6/1
Denver Broncos 7/1
Pittsburgh Steelers 7/1
New Orleans Saints 8/1
Tennessee Titans 8/1
Washington Commanders 8/1
Indianapolis Colts 9/1
New England Patriots 9/1
The Falcons would make the most sense if Mayfield were to leave Tampa Bay. They need a quarterback upgrade, and it’s unclear if they plan to add one through the draft. They also have plenty of talent on offense for a QB to utilize.
The Seahawks and Bears make less sense. Chicago has the option of using the No. 1 overall pick on a QB or retaining Justin Fields. Seattle has Geno Smith, and it’s unclear whether Mayfield would be a definitive upgrade over him. The Broncos or Steelers would make more sense for Mayfield than either of those teams. The Broncos could be parting ways with Russell Wilson and would either need to rebuild with a new QB or have a capable quarterback step in.
Mayfield passed for over 4,000 yards last season and had a career-high 28 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. He led Tampa Bay to the NFC South title and a playoff win.
The Bucs are not planning to use their franchise tag on Mayfield. One team that’s lower on the list of favorites has also been linked to Mayfield.
