The Buccaneers need a real plan if they are unwilling to pay Baker Mayfield

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may believe Baker Mayfield is their franchise quarterback. Their latest contract negotiations suggest they are not completely sold on how long they want that arrangement to continue.

That raises a question Tampa Bay cannot avoid forever: If Mayfield is not the quarterback beyond 2026, who is?

Mayfield will complete his ninth NFL season this year and enter Year 10 in 2027. He is not nearing retirement, but he is no longer the reclamation project who arrived in Tampa on a one-year deal.

The Buccaneers need to decide whether they want to pay for the rest of his prime or begin searching for his successor.

The 2027 draft class offers legitimate options

The timing could work in Tampa Bay’s favor. The 2027 quarterback class is expected to be much deeper than the 2026 group, which produced only two first-round picks.

Oregon’s Dante Moore and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin currently sit near the top of many early rankings. Texas quarterback Arch Manning remains the biggest name, although opinions about his NFL ceiling vary wildly.

Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Miami’s Darian Mensah, Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss give the class additional depth. Several have a chance to play their way into the first round during the upcoming college season.

Some prospects will rise. Others will return to school, get injured or fall apart once scouts begin examining every throw. Tampa Bay cannot simply circle a name now and assume that player will be available when it selects.

Draft position creates another complication. If Mayfield has a strong season, the Buccaneers will probably pick somewhere in the middle or later portion of the first round. The best quarterbacks may already be gone.

Moving up would require Tampa Bay to surrender valuable draft capital. The Buccaneers would be replacing Mayfield while also giving away picks that could have supported his replacement. 

The franchise tag could create a bridge

One option would be to place the franchise tag on Mayfield and draft a quarterback in 2027.

The rookie could spend one season learning behind an established starter rather than being thrown onto the field immediately. Tampa Bay would then have a possible successor ready for 2028, when Mayfield’s tag expired.

From a football standpoint, it has some appeal. Kansas City once allowed Patrick Mahomes to sit behind Alex Smith. Green Bay has repeatedly used a veteran quarterback to buy development time for the next one.

The only problem?

Tampa Bay would be devoting an enormous amount of cap space to a quarterback it was preparing to replace. 

Waiting until 2028 carries even more uncertainty

The 2028 class has several intriguing young quarterbacks, including Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, Alabama’s Keelon Russell and Ohio State’s Tavien St. Clair.

Waiting that long would also require Tampa Bay to keep Mayfield for two more seasons, find another veteran bridge or endure a year without a reliable starter.

Tampa Bay should not move on without an answer

Drafting a quarterback in 2027 is a reasonable succession plan. Letting Mayfield leave and then hoping the draft provides one is not.

If Tampa Bay identifies a quarterback it loves, tagging Mayfield for one season and allowing the rookie to develop could work despite making the relationship uncomfortable.

Mayfield may be entering his 10th NFL season in 2027, but quarterbacks routinely play well into their mid and late 30s. Tampa Bay could spend years and several premium draft picks searching for someone who merely gives it what Mayfield already does.

The 2027 class gives the Buccaneers options. It does not give them a guarantee.