Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sign Baker Mayfield To 1-Year Deal

Former No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached an agreement on a one-year contract worth up to $8.5 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

The Buccaneers needed a veteran quarterback with the ability to start to compete with 2021 second-round draft pick Kyle Trask.

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General manager Jason Licht said at the NFL combine that the Buccaneers "have a lot of faith in Kyle." But going from third string to a starter and following in the footsteps of seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady would be a tall ask for any player, let alone one who saw his first NFL regular-season snaps ever in Week 18.

The Buccaneers are also installing a new offense under new offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

Mayfield played the final five games of the 2022 season for the Los Angeles Rams, who claimed him off waivers from the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 6. In those five games, Mayfield completed 63.6% of his passes for 850 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Mayfield, the No. 1 pick in 2018, was playing on the final season of his rookie contract after the Cleveland Browns picked up his fifth-year option in April 2021. The Browns, who had acquired Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans last offseason, traded Mayfield to the Panthers in July. He played in seven games in Carolina before he was waived.