Insider explains how Baker Mayfield is a bargain for the Buccaneers

Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers is set to be seventh in the NFL as it pertains to average annual salary for quarterbacks after he and the club agreed to a five-year, $265M contract extension that includes $181M in guarantees ahead of this past weekend.

On Monday morning, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested that the Purdy deal serves as another reminder that Baker Mayfield is quite the bargain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this spring. 

"Mayfield, who’s in the second year of a three-year, $100M contract, is underpaid relative to other veteran starting quarterbacks," Florio wrote.
"Of course, that makes it a very good deal for the Bucs, who are paying $33.3M per year for a top-10 quarterback. ...As the list of quarterback contracts goes, Mayfield is currently at the bottom of the top 20. He’s the lowest-paid starting quarterback not on a rookie contract other than Jets quarterback Justin Fields (if, as it seems, he wins the starting job) and Giants quarterback Russell Wilson."

According to Pro Football Reference, Mayfield ended this past regular season ranked fourth in the NFL with a 106.8 passer rating, third with an average of 264.7 passing yards per game and tied for second with 41 touchdown passes he recorded over 17 games. 

To compare, Purdy was 13th with a 96.1 passer rating, fifth with an average of 257.6 passing yards per contest and tied for 15th with 20 touchdowns through the air that he notched over 15 games. 

That said, many would likely agree that Purdy has the better overall resume of the two signal-callers. He is a one-time MVP finalist who has played in a pair of NFC Championship Games and who nearly became a Super Bowl champion in February 2024. Meanwhile, Mayfield has never been a legitimate MVP candidate and has gone 1-2 in the playoffs while with Tampa Bay. 

Nevertheless, some may understandably wonder how Mayfield feels about being paid less per year than quarterbacks such as Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith of the Las Vegas Raiders, Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons and Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals. 

"Mayfield has given no indication that he’s unhappy with his contract," Florio added. "...It’s good for Mayfield. It’s good for the Buccaneers. And, by next year, he’ll likely get a new deal that pushes him significantly higher on the list of highest-paid NFL quarterbacks. As it should."

Specifically, Mayfield said last summer that being discarded by both the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers in 2022 left him feeling "like a piece of dirty laundry." While he seemingly has found a long-term home with the Buccaneers, he'll have millions upon millions of reasons to want to produce another stellar campaign with the club before the two sides engage in extension talks next offseason.