Baker could be a QB option for teams in 2027
Mike Florio and Myles Simmons discuss Baker Mayfield potentially landing with a new team in 2027, evaluating why the quarterback could be available next season amid his contract dispute with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Video Transcript
And, and Baker Mayfield has the kind of attitude, and I, I mean this in a good way, where he will go to a rival, right?
And in the NFC South, I don't think he's gonna go to Atlanta unless they make a change at head coach, but I don't think he would go back to the Panthers either, and it looks like New Orleans has a quarterback.
But in the AFC North, Pittsburgh Steelers, potentially.
You know?
Hey.
Aaron Rodgers, last year, last ride.
Hey.
I don't know.
I'm not saying, I'm just saying.
Baker, Baker Mayfield would be perfect in Pittsburgh.
He would be perfect.
I know they'd like to get off this train of older veteran quarterbacks, but, I mean, he's a spring chicken in comparison to Aaron Rodgers.
Yeah.
I would make a beeline for Baker Mayfield.
If I'm Mike McCarthy and I'm the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I get through this season and my options are Will Howard, Drew Aller, and Mason Rudolph, I am doing whatever it takes to get Baker Mayfield in Pittsburgh.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I, I certainly think it's an intriguing question, right?
I mean, and, you know, certainly a lot that has to play out over the course of the year.
But that's where, the, if the, if the Bucs analysis is, well, nobody's gonna offer him more, well, Baker Mayfield may be, you know, to quote Brandon Aiyuk you know, it's like they're afraid of the belt, man.
Or maybe they should be afraid of the belt, who knows?
I remember in early '24 when the Vikings were looking at Kirk Cousins leaving, and are they gonna sign someone?
Are they gonna draft someone?
They ultimately signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal and drafted J.J. McCarthy.
I was, I was sitting right in this chair.
"Hey, hey, Vikings, go, go get Baker Mayfield.
Did you s- I remember you saying that, yeah.
"Hey, Vikings, did you not see what, what Baker Mayfield did week one of the 2023 season when he came in there, dropped the shoulder on third down, beat the Vikings to start that season?"
So I, I, yes, I, I was in favor of it then.
I'd possibly be in favor of it again depending upon what happens in the aftermath of Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz.
Not that- Yeah I'm just being complete now.
I guess if I wanna be complete, I need to mention Max Brosmer too, but the Vikings may be looking next year.
I just think teams could do a lot worse than Baker Mayfield.
I agree.
And I don't understand.
I don't understand why there isn't this vibe of And maybe teams are just keeping their cards close to the vest, they're focused on the task at hand.
But man, if I'm doing my long-term planning and I think I may need a quarterback in 2027, Baker Mayfield's at the top of the list because he may hit the market again.
They could tag him.
And, you know, one of the reasons why it's important to understand exactly what he's gonna make this year is figuring out his cap number for this year.
NFLPA records has his cap number at 39 million and change.
The franchise tag would be 48 million for one year, which is relevant to what he should expect.
Yes.
That, that's relevant.
If it's gonna cost you- Yeah 48 million to tag me, then why would I sign a long-term contract with you for less than that- Yep until you play the tag card?
Yep.
If you don't, all right, that's fine.
But until you tag me, I'm not taking less than 48 million.
I remember when Kirk Cousins, the first time he got tagged by Washington, it was 20 million.
Well, they offered him 16 million a year.
Well, what the hell?
Of course- Yeah I'm gonna wait for you to tag me.
Yeah.
If you're offering me 16 million on a long-term deal, I can make 20.
So if they don't tag him, then it all changes.
Until they do tag him, he, he waits to see whether or not they will.
And I don't know, 48 million isn't ridiculous for one year, and it is the starting point.
I go back to, I remember there was a time when Eli Manning was up for a new contract.
And it was a time when this quarterback market had kind of stagnated, and it wasn't rising the way that it should have.
And Manning had a big franchise tag number coming up after his contract expired.
It was a big number.
And so if you ask for a long-term deal at that average, it's gonna make you the highest paid player in the NFL.
And somebody from the Giants leaked that Eli Manning has asked to be the highest paid player in the NFL, which caused people's brains to break.
But when you look at what his franchise tag number was gonna be the next year, if you make an offer based on that number, yes, it's gonna make him the highest paid player, 'cause the market hadn't been moving.
So those are relevant factors.
What's that tag gonna be?
Are they willing to use it?
They didn't do it the last time.
Will they do it this time?
So mu- much of it depends on what he does this year.
They, they may be backed into a corner.
This is where the politics, not of, like, within the organization, but keeping your fan base from revolting.
If he has a truly magical season and they don't have a deal done, they have to tag him.
They got no choice but to tag him.
Yes, they do.
And that's, that's gonna be the determining factor.
How does Baker Mayfield play in 2026?
And, and that'll, that'll really tell the story.
Here's the other thing too, before we break.
What's your alternative at quarterback?
That's the other side of it too.
If Baker Mayfield goes, who's gonna play quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Tom Brady's not walking back through that door.
Who's gonna play quarterback?
And, you know, it makes what Ma- last point, it makes what Mayfield has done in Tampa Bay all the more impressive when you consider he followed Brady.
Yep.
And he never flinched.
He never blinked.
He has done everything that team has needed, and it has been a bargain for them so far.
And if I'm Mayfield, it's easy for me to say, 'cause it's not my financial interests on the line, and it's not the physical risk that I have to take in order to, you know, continue to pursue the money.
He has to do it.
It's al- we always root for someone to bet on themselves, because if they lose, it doesn't affect us.
But I'd say bet on yourself, man.
Stick it to them.
Go after it.
Go for it.
If they're not gonna give you what they should, if they're not gonna value you, what's the saying?
Go where you're celebrated, not where you're tolerated.
It almost feels like the Bucs are tolerating him, not celebrating him.
If that's the case, I'll take less from someone who wants me than from, you know, an organization that, I don't know.
If I'm Baker Mayfield, I don't know.
How do they really feel about me?
Are they really giving me what they should, given what I've done for the team?
I don't know.
So all TBD, but it's a, a, a wrinkle that is very relevant, especially if the talks will end once training camp begins
