Baker Mayfield is back in the NFC South!
As first reported by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero on Wednesday, the former Carolina Panthers quarterback is set to join the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The agreement, which can be made official as soon as 4 p.m. ET today, is a one-year pact that can be worth up to $8.5 million.
2018’s first overall pick, Mayfield was acquired by the Panthers from the Cleveland Browns on July 6, 2022 in exchange for a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick. He was then pitted against incumbent starter Sam Darnold in a quarterback competition that summer, one he’d officially win on Aug. 22.
Mayfield wouldn’t, however, win much after that in Carolina. He made six starts over seven games for the Panthers—recording just one win while completing a then career-low 57.8 percent of his throws for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions.
Coming out of their Week 13 bye, Mayfield—who was then designated as the third-string option behind Darnold and PJ Walker—asked and was granted his release. He was then claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams, where he made four starts to close out the campaign.
The soon-to-be sixth-year veteran is expected to challenge Kyle Trask for Tampa’s starting job.
