Mayfield has long been a player who operates with a gigantic chip on his shoulder. He bet on himself as a collegiate prospect, turning down small-school opportunities to walk on at Texas Tech. When former coach Kliff Kingsbury chose Davis Webb over Mayfield as the Red Raiders’ starter (and with Patrick Mahomes‘ eventual arrival looming), Mayfield took another leap of faith by transferring to Oklahoma in 2014 and joining the Sooners as a walk-on.
Those risks paid off. Fueled by perceived disrespect, Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy in 2017 and was drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland in 2018, filling a long-vacant role as the Browns’ franchise quarterback before that marriage disintegrated after the 2022 season.
Another high-stakes pairing worked out for Mayfield in Tampa Bay. But after three seasons with the Buccaneers, Mayfield has proven his high ceiling doesn’t come with the most reliable floor. His insistence on playing through most ailments has negatively affected his play, and with the bad taste associated with Tampa Bay’s 2025 collapse still lingering, Tampa Bay appears content to let Mayfield earn the money he desires.
Mayfield is relishing the opportunity, which he knows could lead to a lucrative opportunity elsewhere as a free agent in 2027.
“If you’ve waited this long to take care of your franchise quarterback, that’s too bad because it’s only going to get worse from here,” Mayfield said. “I’m going to have a really good year.”
A great year could command entry into the $50 million-per-year club, a desire Mayfield made known Thursday when speaking with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. That group currently includes 12 quarterbacks, with Mahomes seated at the top at $64 million per year, and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts bringing up the rear at $51 million per year.
Should Mayfield deliver on his prediction, he could price himself out of Tampa Bay and into the welcoming arms of another NFL club (Pittsburgh, perhaps?). It sounds as if Mayfield is open for such a development when the time comes.
“When you’re not presented with an offer that’s appealing whatsoever, yeah, it’s easy to turn the page,” he said.
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