Baker Mayfield resurrected his career in Tampa Bay last season, going from the trash heap to bona fide starter after signing a one-year prove-it deal.
The signing proved to be a home run for both the quarterback and the franchise, and Mayfield will now be the team’s signal caller for the foreseeable future after reportedly inking a three-year, $100 million dollar deal to return to the Bucs. Mayfield confirmed the reports with a statement, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Tampa Bay was Mayfield’s fourth team in just over a year after going from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams. He won the job in training camp and threw a career-high 28 touchdown passes to lead the Buccaneers to the NFC South crown. They routed the Eagles 32-9 for an upset win in the Wild Card Round before falling to the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round despite Mayfield throwing for 349 yards and a trio of touchdowns.
The Buccaneers were quite profitable with Mayfield at the helm in 2023. They went 11-6 ATS, which was the second-best mark in the NFL. They’re currently +240 to win the NFC South next year at FanDuel. The Falcons remain the favorites at +140 while the Saints are +280 and the Panthers are +700.
Mayfield’s contract comes on the heels of another big-time re-signing, as the team officially inked Mike Evans to a two-year contract extension Friday. Evans is the franchise’s all-time leader in catches (762), receiving yards (11,680) and touchdowns (95). He caught 79 passes for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first season with Mayfield under center.
