Baker Mayfield

Career StatsA-

Year	Team	GP	Yards	TD	INT	RTG
Career		123	28,525	197	101	91.2
2025		17	3,693	26	11	90.6
2024		17	4,500	41	16	106.8

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Baker Mayfield's contract earns a B- Contract Value Index, with the AAV sitting where the comparable-tier established veteran quarterback deals tend to settle. At $33.3M annually over three years, the structure is defensible on pure talent—his A- performance grade and 2025 season work ethic (17 games played) demonstrate he remains a capable starter capable of managing games at a high level. The contract sits in the murky middle of the quarterback market: expensive enough to limit cap flexibility, yet not so astronomical that it represents obvious overpay given his 91.2 career passer rating and eight seasons of service. Where the CVI falters is the broader context: Mayfield is 31 in an established veteran stage, meaning the window for recouping value through sustained production is narrowing, and the Buccaneers' recent roster moves—primarily depth signings and positional tweaks rather than aggressive win-now acquisitions—suggest the organization views him as a short-term solution rather than a franchise cornerstone. The sentiment collapse from B-range to D, driven by public contract disputes and trade speculation, underscores an uncomfortable truth: the on-field performance remains solid, but organizational faith has eroded, and a quarterback entering negotiation friction with three years remaining on his deal is a liability, not an asset. At this juncture, the contract is neither a steal nor a disaster—it's a cautious middle ground burdened by deteriorating relationship dynamics and dwindling runway for justification.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Baker's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Baker Mayfield, the former No. 1 overall pick, has carved out a legitimate second act as Tampa Bay's franchise quarterback after a turbulent early career. Earning an A- overall grade, he stands as a reliable mid-tier starter whose resilience and leadership have outlasted early skepticism. His career 91.2 passer rating and 63.5% completion rate reflect a quarterback who found his footing well after Cleveland. Current-season numbers tell a more complicated story, with a 90.6 passer rating sitting just above the NFL average of 87.8 and a 6.80 yards-per-attempt essentially matching league norms. His 217.2 passing yards per game outpaces the NFL average of 189.3, showing he keeps offenses moving even without elite efficiency. The bigger concern is a troubling seasonal trend — grading out at a B in 2024 before slipping to a C- in 2025 — suggesting a meaningful regression rather than a minor dip. One genuine bright spot is his rushing contribution, averaging 22.5 yards per game on the ground, nearly double the NFL average of 12.3, adding a dimension that keeps defenses honest. His 4.79 TD percentage also edges above the league average of 4.38, indicating he still finds the end zone at a respectable clip. The concern moving forward is whether Tampa Bay's supporting cast can re-elevate his production back toward his 2023 peaks. At 31 with eight seasons of wear, Mayfield is unlikely to dramatically raise his ceiling, but a healthy offseason and refined offensive scheme could stabilize the decline. Watch his yards-per-attempt and passer rating heading into 2026 — those will signal whether he remains a viable starter or fades into a bridge role.

How Baker Compares at the Position

Baker Mayfield ranks 10th of 106 graded quarterbacks by performance. That slots Baker between Matthew Stafford (A-) just ahead and Aaron Rodgers (B+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Baker Mayfield's sentiment grade lands at D, reflecting how the recent storylines have framed him. The sharp deterioration from B-range sentiment just weeks ago stems directly from a contract standoff that has consumed the narrative: Mayfield's public deadline for extension talks and his claim that sides are "not anywhere close" have shifted the story from organizational confidence to genuine discord, while simultaneous trade speculation involving the Steelers has injected uncertainty into his long-term role in Tampa Bay. This sentiment collapse is particularly striking because it sits in direct tension with his A-minus performance grade—the on-field production hasn't cratered, but the contractual friction has completely overshadowed it, transforming Mayfield from a stability story into a short-term bridge. The Buccaneers' recent roster additions (linebacker Josiah Trotter, defensive lineman Josiah Green, and new kicker B.T. Potter) read as organizational treading-water rather than aggressive win-now construction, and paired with the headline noise around extension negotiations, the cumulative effect has poisoned fan and media confidence that Mayfield remains the franchise's long-term answer. Where there was cautious organizational goodwill three weeks ago, there is now skepticism—the media has shifted from celebrating Mayfield's redemption arc to treating his future in Tampa Bay as genuinely uncertain, and for a quarterback with 8 seasons of service and established veteran standing, that's a meaningful loss of ground heading into the preseason.