Baker Mayfield bet on himself this year, and he’s winning — in the short-term and over the long haul.
He has earned $2.85 million in incentives so far, to go along with his $4 million base package. He can make another $750,000, with $250,000 coming from each playoff win in which he takes at least 75 percent of the snaps.
To date, he has made $2 million by taking at least 85 percent of the regular-season snaps on offense, along with the Bucs making the playoffs. He also earned $300,000 by finishing in the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards (he was ninth with 4,044) and in the top 10 in passing touchdowns (seventh, with 28). Last night, he made another $250,000 with the wild-card playoff win.
The real award awaits. He’s due to become a free agent in March. He’ll either sign a multi-year deal, or he’ll get the franchise tag at roughly $35 million for 2025. Alternatively, the first pick in the 2018 draft will hit the open market.
That’s the least likely outcome. He has said he wants to stay in Tampa. The Bucs definitely should want him. In the first year post-Tommy, Baker has already taken the Bucs farther than Brady did in 2022.
