Baker Mayfield revitalized his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the former first-overall pick may be playing for yet another team in the near future. Selected by the Cleveland Browns, the Oklahoma product was the best quarterback in the history of the franchise, which admittedly isn’t saying much. His time with the Browns peaked in 2020 when he guided the franchise to its first playoff win in forever while completing 62.8% of his passes for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Unfortunately for Baker Mayfield, the quarterback struggled through an injury-plagued 2021, and the organization decided to abandon him and move forward with the Deshaun Watson trade. Following a disappointing stint with the Carolina Panthers, Mayfield re-established himself as a starting-caliber quarterback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The longtime veteran made the Pro Bowl in 2023 and 2024 and was in the MVP race early in 2025 before injuries led to a rough finish.
Baker Mayfield is not a top-five quarterback, but he is an above-average starter who is due for a new deal at the end of the 2026 season. Mayfield himself said that he and the team are “not anywhere close” on a new deal, and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo confirmed that statement in a recent episode of The Insiders. Tampa Bay does not have an adequate Plan B at the quarterback position, but the team may consider maximizing their return for Mayfield by sending him to a quarterback-needy team for a draft pick or two.
Buccaneers Could Trade Baker Mayfield After Contract Talks Stall
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have one of the worst quarterback situations in football. Veterans Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew are nothing more than backup-level passers, and while rookie Carson Beck holds some potential, nobody should put too much faith in an untested third-round rookie. Baker Mayfield may not be a superstar, but he’s considerably better than any of Arizona’s current options at the game’s most important position.
Don’t look now, but the Arizona Cardinals have a decent group of weapons in tight end Trey McBride and wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Michael Wilson. Nobody would confuse this unit with the 2007 New England Patriots, but this could be a dangerous passing attack with the right quarterback. Baker Mayfield could get the most out of this grouping, and the former first-overall pick should be a natural fit for head coach Mike LaFleur’s offense. After all, it’s similar to the scheme Mayfield thrived in during his short-lived stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers decided to return for one more season, which may put them out of the Baker Mayfield sweepstakes. However, while it would be a messy situation, the team could effectively ditch the aging Rodgers and upgrade the position with Mayfield if the opportunity presents itself. While Rodgers has the better career, the present-day version of Mayfield is better than the present-day version of Rodgers. Much like the Cardinals, Pittsburgh doesn’t have any long-term hope at the position beyond third-round pick Drew Allar. Mayfield would be an immediate short-term and long-term upgrade and could be the team’s long-awaited heir to Ben Roethlisberger.
New York Jets
Head coach Aaron Glenn is on the hot seat, and he will lose his job if this team doesn’t start winning games in 2026. Following a disastrous first season at the helm, Glenn upgraded the quarterback position by trading for old friend Geno Smith. While the Seattle version of Smith looked like a solid quarterback, he had a disastrous season with the Las Vegas Raiders. Baker Mayfield is a much safer bet, and he’s a lot younger and could be a long-term answer for a team that has never figured out the game’s most important position.
Main Photo: Bob Donnan – Imagn Images
