National Football League

Why Baker Mayfield's new contract won't change his drive to take Bucs further

Published Mar. 13, 2024 2:12 p.m. ET

TAMPA — A year ago, Baker Mayfield was surrounded by doubt and uncertainty, signing a modest $4 million deal with the Bucs after spending the previous year with three different teams. His future was unknown, and the outside expectations for Tampa Bay were not good, projected by many as one of the worst teams in the NFL.

He signed another deal with the Bucs on Wednesday, reflecting just how much his life has changed in that year. He led the Bucs to a division title and a playoff win, reset his career highs in touchdown passes and yards, and his new contract is a validation of the success he found in 2023: three years and $100 million, including $40 million fully guaranteed.

He and his wife, Emily, are expecting their first child, a daughter, in the next month, and that only added to a strong feeling of home in Tampa and his desire to stick with a good thing. Sitting at lunch on the water Sunday, he made the call to accept the Bucs' offer and felt immediate relief.

"A weight lifted off of our shoulders, from the traveling journey we've been on the last few years," said Mayfield, who went from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams in 2022 before settling in Tampa. "For us, knowing how much we truly love being here, throughout the whole process we thought we were going to call this place home in the offseason regardless. That's how much we fell in love with the community and the city overall. Truly enjoyed living here. Knowing we can settle in and ... can be truly rooted, it's a special feeling."

Mayfield is perhaps the centerpiece of a strong week for the Bucs. He's one of five coveted free agents the team brought back, including receiver Mike Evans, safety Antoine Winfield, linebacker Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin. The Bucs haven't added a single outside player yet, but there's confidence the returning core can lead the team to greater success.

"We made a good run there at the end, but I don't think any of our guys were satisfied," Mayfield said. "It was the group that stuck together though all the highs and lows that made it so special for us. I'm looking forward to being able to push for a deeper playoff run. Obviously, if it's not a Super Bowl, only one team's happy at the end, so that's the goal here, to try to win a couple."

Mayfield would have been one of the most coveted quarterbacks in this free-agent class, and his contract is only surpassed this week by that of Kirk Cousins, who landed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons to compete for the same division title. Mayfield had said the day the 2023 season ended that he hoped Bucs players would sacrifice and take less to keep the core together. On Wednesday, he said he can't complain about the money he's getting in his new contract.

"It's life-changing money, and I'm not going to act like otherwise," he said. "It's something I've worked extremely hard for many years of football. I'm grateful for it. There's nothing to be ashamed about, nothing to say, 'Well, he got more.' It's not that mentality, knowing we have a chance to bring back some key pieces and make a run in the playoffs, that's important to me. I'm a winner at heart. I hate losing, so knowing we get a lot of guys back and we can continue to build this for years to come, it's special."

Why Baker Mayfield deserves his $100 million contract

Mayfield won over his new team last fall, from a 3-1 start to losing six of the next seven, then winning five of the last six to clinch a third straight division title. Taking over a team from Tom Brady isn't an easy task, but Mayfield has never lacked for confidence. Bucs coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht made it clear they wanted him back, though it took until the day before the start of the negotiating window for free agents this week to get a deal worked out.

Mayfield had the motivation last year of knowing he might be in his last chance to prove himself an NFL starter, embracing an underdog role as a team despite confidence within their own ranks. It'll be harder to pull either off with a new contract and expectations of competing for another playoff berth and division title, but Mayfield said motivation won't be an issue.

"The expectation on the outside, if you pay attention to that, you're not doing it right," he said. "Knowing the people in this building, we set our own standard. We know with the pieces we have, we're capable of winning a Super Bowl. You set that standard and you don't let anybody dip below that line. For us, once you get a taste of losing in the playoffs, it makes you driven even more."

The NFC South now has four starting quarterbacks all new to the division within the past year: Mayfield and the Saints' Derek Carr signing last year, Carolina drafting Bryce Young a year ago and now Cousins signing with Atlanta. That sets up a competitive finish again in 2024 — the Bucs have won three straight division titles, but one game separated first and fourth in 2022, and the Saints finished with the same record atop the standings this past year.

"It's going to be just as competitive," Mayfield said. "Atlanta bringing in Kirk and some pieces, Bryce going into Year 2, having worked with Dave [Canales], knowing he's going to get good stuff out of him, knowing the Saints, Derek has a lot of experience as well. We're going to have to take care of business.

"That's the thing. We've set the standard in this division for a while now, and we're trying to keep it that way."

Greg Auman is FOX Sports' NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.