Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Super Bowl champion shares prediction about Bucs' Baker Mayfield

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver and current NFL analyst Keyshawn Johnson believes the club is giving quarterback Baker Mayfield a maximum of two seasons to prove himself via the three-year contract the sides reportedly agreed to over the weekend. 

"He’ll never see the third year of this deal," Johnson said about Mayfield during Monday's edition of the FS1 "Undisputed" program, as shared by the JoeBucsFan website. 

Johnson specified that Tampa Bay will either move on from Mayfield before the contract expires or push salary-cap hits down the road by signing the first pick of the 2018 NFL Draft to an extension at some point before Week 1 of the 2026 season. 

ESPN reported on Sunday that Mayfield's contract is a $100M deal with a maximum value of $115M that includes $30M guaranteed in 2024 and $30M (with $20M guaranteed) in 2025. To compare, quarterback Geno Smith received what was originally reported to be a three-year, $105M deal from the Seattle Seahawks last offseason, but Seattle technically could've parted ways with Smith after just one campaign. Additionally, it's now hardly a secret that the New York Giants are planning to escape the four-year contract that could be worth up to $160M that signal-caller Daniel Jones signed last March roughly 12 months from now. 

According to ESPN stats, Mayfield ended this past regular season ranked 18th in the NFL with a 54.3 adjusted QBR and 12th with a 94.6 passer rating. He was seventh with 28 touchdowns through the air and ninth with 4,044 passing yards and he impressed with his deep-ball plays en route to guiding the club to a division title and a postseason win.

It was reported on Sunday evening that Mayfield cared more about "organizational stability and the right culture" than about cashing in as a free agent after he featured for the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams from January 2022 through January 2023. While he likely hopes he's found a long-term home in Tampa Bay, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht seemingly did well to protect the club in the event that Mayfield either plays poorly or suffers a noteworthy injury between now and March 2025. 

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