The Buccaneers needed only two weeks to regret Baker Mayfield's contract

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' hopes of being a playoff contender aren't doomed after their ugly 2-0 start but they are on life support. If Tampa Bay is going to turn things around, they'll need big-money quarterback Baker Mayfield to massively improve his play in the coming weeks.

Mayfield's struggles during the early season have cast serious doubts over whether or not the Buccaneers were correct to commit to him with a three-year, $165 million contract in the offseason. In fairness, Tampa Bay's front office was in a tough spot. They either needed to commit serious cash to Mayfield to keep him in the fold or accept the possibility that he'd move on without receiving any meaningful compensation in the offseason.

The Baker Mayfield contract extension seemed reasonable at the time

The idea of giving a 31-year-old quarterback a three-year deal is a logical move for a front office that believes they have the talent to compete for an NFC South crown. Mayfield grading out as the 27th best quarterback in the NFL via QBR over the first two weeks was not part of the plan. The idea was for Mayfield to play like an above-average quarterback while the young talent surrounding him on Tampa's offense grew into a top-tier unit. Instead, Mayfield has looked like one of the worst signal-callers in football, which has weighed down his offensive teammates.

Critics of Tampa Bay's front office could point out how turnover-prone Mayfield has been in recent seasons. His 27 fumbles are seven more than any other quarterback since 2024. Only Geno Smith has more interceptions than Mayfield during that time period. Mayfield has thrown for plenty of yards during that stretch of time, but turning the ball over has impaired his team's ability to win games with him at the helm.

If Mayfield can't find a way to take care of the ball in the coming weeks it could lead to a potentially awkward personnel situation for the Buccaneers in the offseason. Finishing with a poor record could position them with a high pick in the upcoming draft. Conventional wisdom would suggest Tampa Bay should take advantage of that draft capital by selecting a quarterback in what's thought to be a pretty strong draft at the game's most important position.

Would the Buccaneers really replace Baker Mayfield?

Tampa Bay does not want to be forced into replacing Mayfield in the offseason, but the limited term of his contract extension does mean it will be a realistic choice from the front office if things continue to go south. Even at his best, he's a fringe top-10 player at his position. If the front office believes they can draft a player with more upside, they should not hesitate to make a sea change at quarterback.

The other reasonable alternative would be to auction that high draft pick to the highest bidder on the trade market. Another, even more quarterback-needy team might be willing to offer them a king's ransom for such a high pick in Round 1. In theory, the Buccaneers could use that draft capital to surround Mayfield with enough offensive talent to help him thrive during the remainder of his prime.

Neither scenario represents the path the Buccaneers hoped they would be going down this season. Mayfield's poor play has put them behind the eight ball on the field and in the front office. If he can't turn things around soon, expect to hear a lot more chatter about how the Buccaneers might try to replace him before his new contract expires.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow