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Not only are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield in a dispute over money, but they are also dealing with the fallout from Mayfield's very public comments about his disappointment with how his contract negotiations went down.
Speaking with reporters earlier at training camp, Mayfield, who is entering his fourth season with the Bucs, made it known that he felt "disrespected" and "undervalued" by the team. He feels that he has proven himself as a franchise quarterback, and now wants to be paid like one after playing the last three years for significantly less than other top QBs.
The Bucs were not happy with Mayfield's comments, and the team also disputed his claim that they were unwilling to meet the $50 million-per-year benchmark thought to be the baseline for top quarterbacks.
It looks like the Bucs' offer reached $50 million/year, as reported by ESPN. However, their offer was only for two additional years beyond his current deal, which Mayfield found unacceptable. Mayfield, who seemed to leave the door open to agree to a deal in-season, took issue with Tampa's unwillingness to offer a "long-term lock-in."
The semantics of whether Tampa's offer counts as a two- or three-year contract have been debated since, and many have begun to take sides in the squabble.
One analyst firmly on Team Baker is Jordan Rodgers, who appeared on First Take to express his disbelief over the team's refusal to commit to Mayfield long-term.
Rodgers believes Mayfield is right to feel disrespected by the Bucs, and called the team "insane" for not being willing to invest $50 million/year for at least three years for a franchise QB.
"It's insane that Tampa will not invest 3 years, at 50 some-odd million, in a quarterback that is a franchise quarterback."
Rodgers didn't stop there. One of his key points is that the Bucs have no succession plan in place behind Mayfield. If Mayfield leaves, Tampa has no high draft pick waiting in the wings to become the team's starter. If they did, Rodgers admits he would be more understanding of the organization's stance.
He also puts Mayfield on a similar level as QBs like Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts, and Brock Purdy, who are all making over $50 million/year on extensions of more than three years.
Another point Rodgers offers is Mayfield's willingness to play hurt. The list of injuries Mayfield played through last season is extensive and was brought to light in the Netflix docuseries Quarterback. Rodgers thinks that toughness should be both lauded and rewarded by the team.
While playing hurt may increase Mayfield's value in Rodgers' eyes, it actually may be one of the reasons the Bucs are afraid to offer him a longer contract. The team publicly expressed concerns about Mayfield's long-term health earlier this offseason, believing he takes unnecessary hits and puts himself in harm's way far too often.
Mayfield, of course, refuted those claims, pointing to his zero missed games in his three seasons in Tampa.
Rodgers thinks the Bucs are crazy not to be willing to add an extra year or two to their offer. He thinks Mayfield is a franchise quarterback on par with others making more than $50 million per year. For Tampa to not value Mayfield the way other teams have valued their QBs is "crazy," according to Rodgers.
However, many people are siding with the team and accusing Mayfield of not being entirely honest with his description of the negotiations. Some think Mayfield was wrong for airing his grievances in such a public manner, believing the Bucs were unfairly thrown under the bus.
Personally, I agree with Rodgers (and Mayfield), especially about the team having no backup plan at quarterback.
If Tampa is willing to add two years at a number Mayfield would accept, why play such hardball over a third? Mayfield is only 31 years old, not approaching 40. He still has several good years left, and it's not like the cost of a franchise quarterback is going to depreciate in the future.
The Bucs' concern about Mayfield's ability to stay healthy is understandable, especially considering the QB is unwilling to change the way he plays, which he considers one of his biggest strengths. There could be some risk in hoping Mayfield can avoid any major injuries over the next 4-5 years.
However, I believe it is exponentially riskier for the Bucs to have to start over at quarterback. QBs of Mayfield's quality rarely make it to free agency, making it unlikely Tampa could sign an equal replacement. The price to acquire a franchise QB in a trade is astronomical, and it very rarely works out as it did for the Los Angeles Rams when they traded for Matthew Stafford.
Go ask the Denver Broncos how trading for Russell Wilson worked out.
That leaves the draft and a likely 2-3 year wait for even the best QB prospects to deliver the production and stability Tampa already has with Mayfield, assuming they ever will.
The Bucs already have a franchise quarterback. As Rodgers said, they may be "insane" for not doing more to keep him.
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Speaking with reporters earlier at training camp, Mayfield, who is entering his fourth season with the Bucs, made it known that he felt "disrespected" and "undervalued" by the team. He feels that he has proven himself as a franchise quarterback, and now wants to be paid like one after playing the last three years for significantly less than other top QBs.
The Bucs were not happy with Mayfield's comments, and the team also disputed his claim that they were unwilling to meet the $50 million-per-year benchmark thought to be the baseline for top quarterbacks.
It looks like the Bucs' offer reached $50 million/year, as reported by ESPN. However, their offer was only for two additional years beyond his current deal, which Mayfield found unacceptable. Mayfield, who seemed to leave the door open to agree to a deal in-season, took issue with Tampa's unwillingness to offer a "long-term lock-in."
The semantics of whether Tampa's offer counts as a two- or three-year contract have been debated since, and many have begun to take sides in the squabble.
One analyst firmly on Team Baker is Jordan Rodgers, who appeared on First Take to express his disbelief over the team's refusal to commit to Mayfield long-term.
Rodgers Calls Bucs "Insane"
Rodgers believes Mayfield is right to feel disrespected by the Bucs, and called the team "insane" for not being willing to invest $50 million/year for at least three years for a franchise QB.
"It's insane that Tampa will not invest 3 years, at 50 some-odd million, in a quarterback that is a franchise quarterback."
Rodgers didn't stop there. One of his key points is that the Bucs have no succession plan in place behind Mayfield. If Mayfield leaves, Tampa has no high draft pick waiting in the wings to become the team's starter. If they did, Rodgers admits he would be more understanding of the organization's stance.
He also puts Mayfield on a similar level as QBs like Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Jalen Hurts, and Brock Purdy, who are all making over $50 million/year on extensions of more than three years.
Another point Rodgers offers is Mayfield's willingness to play hurt. The list of injuries Mayfield played through last season is extensive and was brought to light in the Netflix docuseries Quarterback. Rodgers thinks that toughness should be both lauded and rewarded by the team.
While playing hurt may increase Mayfield's value in Rodgers' eyes, it actually may be one of the reasons the Bucs are afraid to offer him a longer contract. The team publicly expressed concerns about Mayfield's long-term health earlier this offseason, believing he takes unnecessary hits and puts himself in harm's way far too often.
Mayfield, of course, refuted those claims, pointing to his zero missed games in his three seasons in Tampa.
Final Thoughts
Rodgers thinks the Bucs are crazy not to be willing to add an extra year or two to their offer. He thinks Mayfield is a franchise quarterback on par with others making more than $50 million per year. For Tampa to not value Mayfield the way other teams have valued their QBs is "crazy," according to Rodgers.
However, many people are siding with the team and accusing Mayfield of not being entirely honest with his description of the negotiations. Some think Mayfield was wrong for airing his grievances in such a public manner, believing the Bucs were unfairly thrown under the bus.
Personally, I agree with Rodgers (and Mayfield), especially about the team having no backup plan at quarterback.
If Tampa is willing to add two years at a number Mayfield would accept, why play such hardball over a third? Mayfield is only 31 years old, not approaching 40. He still has several good years left, and it's not like the cost of a franchise quarterback is going to depreciate in the future.
The Bucs' concern about Mayfield's ability to stay healthy is understandable, especially considering the QB is unwilling to change the way he plays, which he considers one of his biggest strengths. There could be some risk in hoping Mayfield can avoid any major injuries over the next 4-5 years.
However, I believe it is exponentially riskier for the Bucs to have to start over at quarterback. QBs of Mayfield's quality rarely make it to free agency, making it unlikely Tampa could sign an equal replacement. The price to acquire a franchise QB in a trade is astronomical, and it very rarely works out as it did for the Los Angeles Rams when they traded for Matthew Stafford.
Go ask the Denver Broncos how trading for Russell Wilson worked out.
That leaves the draft and a likely 2-3 year wait for even the best QB prospects to deliver the production and stability Tampa already has with Mayfield, assuming they ever will.
The Bucs already have a franchise quarterback. As Rodgers said, they may be "insane" for not doing more to keep him.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
Continue reading...
