Baker Mayfield got paid like an elite quarterback this offseason, but two games into his $165 million deal, he is playing nothing like one. The Buccaneers handed Mayfield a three-year extension worth $55 million annually, only to watch Tampa Bay stumble to an ugly 0-2 start. Now, the honeymoon is already over, with critics openly questioning whether the Bucs made a massive mistake by paying Mayfield superstar money.
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“Baker Mayfield ain’t worth that money,” Damien Harris opined during his appearance on CBS SportsHQ. “Sometimes he plays like it, but sometimes he doesn’t. Why do you guarantee that much money, give that money to a quarterback where, essentially everytime you’re rolling the ball out there, he’s a competitor, he’s scrappy, but which version of Baker are you gonna get? Are you gonna get the hot hand? Or are you gonna get a cold Baker Mayfield?
“That’s what we’re seeing in the past two games. He’s not living up to the contract that he just played at. I know, offensively, they’re not looking very organic as a whole. Things aren’t flowing well. Emeka Egbuka, this is supposed to be a guy who you’re supposed to be able to pin on if you’re Baker Mayfield. He is not showing up. The run game didn’t show up. There are a lot of problems around Baker Mayfield. But at the end of the day, he’s not playing well.”
Mayfield struggled pretty hard during the Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He lost three fumbles, and the Bengals recovered the lost ball for 17 points. Moreover, he faced four sacks because he held the ball a bit too long. He did complete 23 out of 28 passes for 216 yards and ran 30 yards to score a touchdown. However, it was the turnovers that pushed the Bengals to a 33-27 win over the Bucs.
“This one falls on me,” the quarterback stated after losing the game against the Bengals. “They had, I think, 17 points alone off my turnovers. Turns out to be a one-score game. Offensively, it’s frustrating when you do something like that, when you’re moving the ball up and down the field. But if we get that fixed, if I get that fixed and make those corrections, we’ll be alright.”
In the Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns, Deshaun Watson completely outplayed Mayfield. While Mayfield completed only 21 out of 34 passes for 182 yards and scored one touchdown, Watson completed 24 out of 30 attempts for 238 yards and scored two touchdowns. His shortfall cost the Bucs their second game, and the netizens began slamming his contract.
Mayfield’s massive contract is, in fact, tied for the third-highest paycheck among NFL quarterbacks. He’s running neck-and-neck with Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, Joe Burrow, and Jordan Love. But apparently, the Bucs’ leadership believes that he’s worth it.
“This contract, the largest in the history of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, reflects our belief in Baker and his leadership both on and off the field,” Joel Glazer, the Buccaneers’ owner, said about his contract extension. “His competitive spirit, resilience, and commitment to winning embody everything we want in our players. Baker and his wife, Emily, have made a meaningful impact in the Tampa Bay community, and we are thrilled their family will continue to call Tampa Bay home for years to come.”
However, a 0-2 start has turned the dream extension into a glaring lightning rod. For now, he needs to work harder to prove that he’s worthy in the Week 3 game against the Minnesota Vikings on September 27, 2026.