Baker Mayfield is reportedly the newest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 2017 Heisman Trophy winner reportedly signed a one-year deal on Wednesday with the team worth $8.5 million, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield reached agreement today on a one-year deal worth up to $8.5 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per sources. Mayfield is now in line to be Tom Brady’s successor. pic.twitter.com/2ZldEPxHY8
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2023
Last season, Mayfield played for the pathetic Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams and posted a record of 2-8 as a starting quarterback. He threw the football for over 2,000 yards and had 10 touchdown passes to just 8 interceptions.
From the looks of it, Mayfield will battle for Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback position against second-year pro Kyle Trask during training camp and in the pre-season. (RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Says On ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ That He Intends To Play For New York Jets)
Mayfield’s one-year deal with Tampa Bay will determine whether or not he’s good enough to play in the NFL. That said, I believe the situation in Tampa Bay in the beautiful sunshine state of Florida will do Mayfield’s career wonders.
He’s entering into a great situation. There are still a lot of players on Tampa Bay’s roster from their Super Bowl win in 2021. One of those players is four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans, who caught over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first nine seasons in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference. Mayfield will have a field day throwing the ball to Evans next season if he’s named the starter. I can see him tossing over 25 touchdown passes and securing the quarterback position for the foreseeable future with Evans’ help.
If he fails to live up to expectations, his next stop in football will be in the Arena Football League or in the XFL. This is by far the most important season of football in Mayfield’s life, and I expect him to show the world why he was the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. I believe he’ll find stability with the Bucs’ franchise and go on to have a solid NFL career.