Baker Mayfield contract details: Buccaneers QB returns to Tampa Bay after successful Tom Brady replacement season

Jacob Camenker

Baker Mayfield contract details: Buccaneers QB returns to Tampa Bay after successful Tom Brady replacement season image

Baker Mayfield had a lot to prove when he signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers during the 2023 NFL offseason. He did just that, and now, he's cashing in on his success.

Mayfield inked a three-year deal to return to the Buccaneers and attempt to build on the success he enjoyed in 2023, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He led Tampa Bay to a 9-8 record and a playoff win over the Eagles while posting some of the best passing numbers of his career.

Mayfield achieved all of that while replacing the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady. Understandably, the Buccaneers want to keep Mayfield because of that. For Mayfield, his decision to stay is all about being comfortable with his Buccaneers teammates.

“I wanted a chance to come back,” Mayfield said, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. “I love coach Bowles and the staff. I’m happy to be here and I want to win more in the postseason.”

Here's what to know about Mayfield's contract as he and the Buccaneers look to run it back in 2024.

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Baker Mayfield contract details

Mayfield signed a three-year contract worth up to $115 million to return to the Buccaneers after the team enjoyed a successful 2023 NFL season. His contract contains $50 million in guaranteed money and gives him the 12th-highest average annual value (AAV) in the NFL at $38.3 million.

Mayfield will make $30 million in the first year of his contract, $30 million in the second year of his contract and $40 million in the final year of his contract, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. He will have $5 million in bonuses available each season as well.

Mayfield made just $4 million in 2023 after signing a one-year, "prove it" deal with the Bucs in the offseason. He will now be earning more than nine times that AAV on his long-term deal.

Mayfield has career earnings of just under $55.3 million. Those will more than double thanks to his new deal with the Buccaneers.

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Highest-paid QBs in the NFL

Mayfield's contract will make him the 12th-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL in AAV. He comes in just shy of the $40 million AAV owned by Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford and Daniel Jones and just ahead of Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr, who each have a $37.5 million AAV.

Below is a look at where Baker ranks among the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks:

Rank Player AAV
1 Joe Burrow $55 million
2 Patrick Mahomes $52.65 million
3 Justin Herbert $52.5 million
4 Lamar Jackson $52 million
5 Jalen Hurts $51 million
6 Kyler Murray $46.1 million
7 Deshaun Watson $46 million
8 Josh Allen $43 million
9 Dak Prescott $40 million
  Daniel Jones $40 million
  Matthew Stafford $40 million
12 Baker Mayfield $38.3 million

MORE: Breaking down the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL for 2024

Baker Mayfield stats

Mayfield enjoyed the best season of his career with the Buccaneers in 2023. He set career-best marks in completion percentage (64.3), passing yards (4,044), and passing touchdowns (28) while his 94.6 passer rating was his second-best mark ever.

Below is a look at how Mayfield has fared during each of his six NFL seasons to date:

Year Team Record Comp. % Passing yards Pass TDs INTs Rating
2018 Browns 6-7 63.8 3,725 27 14 93.7
2019 Browns 6-10 59.4 3,827 22 21 78.8
2020 Browns 11-5 62.8 3,563 26 8 95.9
2021 Browns 6-8 60.5 3,010 17 13 83.1
2022 Panthers/Rams 2-8 60.0 2,163 10 8 79.0
2023 Buccaneers 9-8 64.3 4,044 28 10 94.6

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Baker Mayfield teams

Mayfield has played for four teams during his six-season NFL career.:

  • Cleveland Browns (2018-21)
  • Carolina Panthers (2022)
  • Los Angeles Rams (2022)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2023-present)

The Browns initially selected Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, but he didn't develop into the high-quality starter that Cleveland hoped. They traded him to the Panthers before the 2022 season, but Mayfield struggled immensely in Carolina and was released late in the season.

The Rams scooped Mayfield up to start for them, and he fared better in that environment before joining the Bucs as a free agent in 2023. He enjoyed the best season of his career playing under offensive coordinator Dave Canales and now will be tasked with repeating that success with yet another new offensive coordinator after Canales left to be the Panthers' next head coach.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.