Baker Mayfield Lands 3-Year, $165M Bucs Extension Right Before Week 1
Mayfield's new deal pays $55M per year and puts him in QB1 conversations after a 274-point PPR season in 2025.
QB12 in our rankings with a locked-in role and a favorable Week 1 matchup.
- 3-year, $165M extension, $55M average annual value
- 2025: 3,693 pass yds, 26 TD, 11 INT, 274 PPR pts
- Our QB12 (overall #26) heading into 2026
- Signed days before Week 1 at Cincinnati
- Added 382 rush yds and a score in 2025
Baker Mayfield went from calling Tampa Bay's offer "disappointing" in July to signing a three-year, $165 million extension just days before the Buccaneers open the season in Cincinnati. The deal pays him $55 million per year — the same average annual value as Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen, per Over the Cap. Not bad for a guy who was on a scout team practice squad four seasons ago.
The 31-year-old is coming off a 2025 that produced 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions across 17 games, plus 382 rushing yards and a score. That was good for 274 PPR points and a QB12 finish — solid, if a step below his monster 2024 when he threw 41 touchdowns. In our rankings he sits at #26 overall, #12 at the position, right on the QB1/QB2 borderline.
How We Got Here
This nearly went sideways. Mayfield entered camp wanting long-term security instead of playing out the final year of his previous deal, and when the initial offer fell short he said he felt undervalued and warned the front office they'd waited too long. He even declared the negotiation deadline had passed. GM Jason Licht floated the franchise tag for 2027 as a fallback, but said he understood the frustration. Cooler heads won.
It's worth remembering how far Mayfield has climbed. The former No. 1 overall pick was benched and released by Carolina in 2022, salvaged his career on a one-year Rams stint, then signed a prove-it deal in Tampa. Two Pro Bowls, a playoff win and a 4,000-yard debut season later, he's now on his third Buccaneers contract.
The Fantasy Angle
For fantasy purposes, the extension mostly confirms what we already knew: Mayfield is the unquestioned starter with no timeshare drama hanging over his job. That stability matters for the whole Tampa passing game. The 2026 opener is also a get-right spot — the Bengals have Burrow, but for fantasy defenses Cincinnati has been generous, and Mayfield's rushing floor (nearly 400 yards last year) gives him a nice weekly baseline.
The move: start him with confidence in Week 1. As our QB12 he's a legitimate low-end QB1, and if the touchdown rate ticks back toward his 2024 form, he's a value at his draft cost. No reason to hesitate — plug him in and don't overthink it.
