The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their new quarterback. According to multiple reports, the Bucs have signed former first-overall pick Baker Mayfield to succeed retired Tom Brady under the center.
The Bucs are reportedly getting a good deal for their willingness to take a gamble on Mayfield. The Oklahoma product will ink a one-year contract that could include earnings up to $8.5 million. In reality, the deal comes with $4 million in signing bonus and base salary, while Mayfield needs to hit certain incentives to earn the remaining $4.5 million.
Considering that the Bucs fans were spoiled by watching Brady in the past three years, getting Mayfield probably doesn’t sound tempting. However, the reality is that Tampa didn’t have too many options considering their salary cap troubles. Also, they couldn’t rely on 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask to get them throughout the 2023 season, considering how little they’ve seen out of him since he entered the league.
Baker Mayfield spent the first four years of his career with the Cleveland Browns and helped the franchise end its 18-season playoff drought in 2020. However, the Browns decided they were better off trading for Pro Bowler Deshaun Watson and ended up on from Mayfield ahead of the 2022 campaign.
Mayfield split the last season with the Carolina Panthers and the LA Rams. He had a combined record of 2-8 as a starter, throwing for 2,163 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight picks.
