The Buccaneers are preparing for life without Tom Brady following the quarterback's retirement from the NFL.
While Tampa Bay is bullish on the potential of 2021 second-round pick Kyle Trask as he enters his third NFL season, it looks like the team will be targeting some experienced competition for the unproven quarterback.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that once free agency begins, the Buccaneers are expected to target Baker Mayfield.
When free agency begins, the #Bucs are expected to target ex-#Rams QB Baker Mayfield as a potential starting QB option, per me and @MikeGarafolo. This could be competition for Kyle Trask, their former 2nd-round pick, who the team likes a lot. As TB plots life without Tom Brady… pic.twitter.com/9PmbTG0tYW
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 12, 2023
It makes sense that the Buccaneers would target Mayfield. The No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has had an up-and-down career, and he struggled during the 2022 season while playing for the Panthers and Rams.
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That said, Mayfield once led the Browns to an 11-5 record with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions and helped Cleveland win its first playoff game since 1994. Granted, that was in the 2020 season, and Mayfield has struggled since then. He was especially dismal with the Panthers in 2022, posting a 1-5 record in six starts with 1,313 passing yards, six touchdowns, six interceptions and a 57.8 completion percentage.
That said, Mayfield still showed some signs of life in 2022 as a part of Sean McVay's offense. So, perhaps new Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales could help Mayfield continue the growth he experienced in Los Angeles.
He may also be the team's most cost-effective option, as NFL Network's Mike Garafolo explained.
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Baker Mayfield contract projection
Garafolo reported that Mayfield won't be the only veteran quarterback that Tampa Bay considers pursuing. Still, he believes Mayfield would be the best combination of fit and cost for the Buccaneers to pursue.
The #Buccaneers are looking for a veteran free agent QB at the right price. They have a few guys they’ll check in on but Baker Mayfield could wind up making the most sense from a fit and financial standpoint. https://t.co/wtqQDmmskY
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 12, 2023
Indeed, Mayfield shouldn't cost too much on the open market. Spotrac.com projects his market value to be $6.5 million per season, and they believe he will get a deal worth just under $13.1 million over two years. That would make him similarly priced to Mitch Trubisky, who signed a two-year, $14.3 million deal with the Steelers during the 2022 offseason.
That type of deal is one that the Buccaneers should be able to afford despite being limited in what they can spend in free agency. Tampa Bay opened nearly $44 million in cap space via pre-free agency contract restructures, but the team remains $5.6 million over the salary cap.
Tampa Bay will eventually clear more space in order to be compliant with the league's $224.8 million salary cap. Still, the Buccaneers won't have an excess of room. That means they can't shell out big money in a quarterback deal.
As such, landing Mayfield on a deal that compensates him as a high-end backup should appeal to the Buccaneers, especially if they believe that he can thrive in Canales' system.
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Baker Mayfield stats
As mentioned, Mayfield has endured his share of struggles over the last two seasons since his breakout 2020 campaign. He still has potential — he won't turn 28 until April — but he will need to improve his accuracy and avoid turnovers to re-emerge as an effective starter.
Below is a look at Mayfield's stats over his five seasons as an NFL starter.
| Year | Comp. % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | INTs | Yards/attempt | Rating |
| 2018 | 63.8 | 3,725 | 27 | 14 | 7.7 | 93.7 |
| 2019 | 59.4 | 3,827 | 22 | 21 | 7.2 | 78.8 |
| 2020 | 62.8 | 3,563 | 26 | 8 | 7.3 | 95.9 |
| 2021 | 60.5 | 3,010 | 17 | 13 | 7.2 | 83.1 |
| 2022 | 60.0 | 2,163 | 10 | 8 | 6.5 | 79.0 |
Mayfield has posted a 31-38 record as a starter. He has had just one winning season — his 11-5 campaign with the Browns in 2020 — during his NFL career.
