Where next for Baker Mayfield?
As free agency gets underway, guesswork continues about where QB Baker Mayfield will play next season, with the most recent reports suggesting he may be heading east to Tampa Bay.
A mixed 2022 season
Unless Mayfield stays with the LA Rams, he may technically find himself at his fourth team in less than a year.
The former number one pick was traded last summer, at his own request, following the Cleveland Browns acquirement of QB Deshaun Watson from Houston. After four seasons in Cleveland, Mayfield was traded to the Carolina Panthers. After competing against Sam Darnold for the starting QB position in the offseason, Mayfield started in Week 1 against his former team in a losing effort.
He would continue to start for the Panthers, until suffering a high-ankle sprain against the 49ers a few weeks later. After missing some time away, he returned as back-up for PJ Walker. As the Panthers struggled and frustration developed, and less than six months after signing, Mayfield asked for his release on 5 December 2022 which was subsequently granted.
Just days prior to Mayfield’s release by the Panthers, LA Rams QB Matthew Stafford, who had led the team to a Super Bowl win just ten months prior, suffered a concussion and was benched for the remainder of the season. The day after his release, 6 December, Mayfield would be claimed off waivers by the LA Rams to act as his replacement.
There were naturally questions around how speedily Mayfield could find his rhythm with the Rams. Just 48 hours later – and having had but one practice with his new teammates – Mayfield found himself on the turf at SoFi Stadium against the Las Vegas Raiders. What transpired next was one of the most electrifying moments of the season.
Mayfield entered the game after coming off the bench with the Raiders leading 16-3. A Cam Akers touchdown made it 16-10 and then, with under two minutes on the clock, trailing 16-10 and with no timeouts remaining, Mayfield rallied the team to a 17-16 win.
His game-winning 98-yard drive and 23-yard TD pass to Van Jefferson would secure the dramatic comeback with just nine seconds left on the clock.
There was suddenly a buzz about Mayfield again. In the final four games of the season, the Rams would win once more (against the Broncos), but by that stage the Rams were well out of playoff contention, ultimately finishing with a 5-12 record.
But as the 2022 season wrapped, and with uncertainty ahead, Mayfield affirmed his confidence as being a starting quarterback and focusing his attention to where his next opportunity would come from.
Where next?
With Mayfield a free agent, three team names have surfaced more in recent weeks than others – from talk that he will stay with the Rams, potentially head to San Francisco for the 49ers or, as current speculations suggests, head to Tampa Bay and join the Buccaneers.
Los Angeles Rams
Of course, the Rams that closed out last season were a shadow of their impressive winning side the season before. Hopes were low for the team before the ink on Mayfield’s contract dried, but the explosiveness in his debut match in the royal blue and gold colours of LA made quite an impression.
There is every chance he stays in LA, working under Head Coach Sean McVay and as back-up to Stafford. With that in mind, the number of games he starts depends entirely on how healthy Stafford is following his spinal contusion, which initially gave way to Mayfield being picked up by the Rams. Keep an eye out too on the status of Stafford, given the Rams need to decide in the next week or so on his contract and news that they might be open to a trade.
San Francisco 49ers
With Brock Purdy now officially out for six months following his UCL surgery, and trading of Jimmy Garoppolo to the Las Vega Raiders, Mayfield could be a feasible option for San Francisco. An economical option too, Mayfield would be ready to draw on his experience to hit the ground running should Trey Lance take time to recuperate from his own injury.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With only Kyle Trask on their books, Tampa Bay could benefit from signing Mayfield. Reports over the last few days indicate he is a “target” for the team. How that works out for the Buccaneers is open for debate – Mayfield’s presence could deny Trask the starting gig, or potentially Mayfield would have to settle for the veteran role to develop Trask further.
Other landing spots?
There are other places Mayfield could end up. Whilst a little more unlikely, it’s plausible Mayfield may find himself lacing up in Arizona or Tennessee. Las Vegas were also previously touted as a possibility until their recent acquisition of Garoppolo.
Arizona Cardinals
Following his torn ACL, Kyler Murray is not expected back in time for the start of the 2023 offseason. The Cardinals have the third pick in this year’s draft and are unlikely to draft a QB – reports and several mock drafts suggest they’ll take LB Will Anderson (Alabama).
Murray also signed a $230.5m five-year extension just last year, so Mayfield could just provide the necessary stop-gap option they need in Phoenix.
Tennessee Titans
Ryan Tannehill could yet still be on the move from Tennessee and as a potential rebuild takes shape in Nashville, the Titans could look for a veteran quarterback to come in. Granted, the Titans are not Super Bowl contenders this year, but a one-year deal could be all they need whilst they further develop second-year Malik Willis or bide their time to get their next QB in the 2024 draft.
Where the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner can fit in as a starting quarterback depends on where there is a short-term need, as he is unlikely to be signed to a long-term deal, nor feature in any lasting plans. Mayfield asserts he is looking for his next opportunity, so if his revived enjoyment of the game and new maturity perseveres, he could be the agreeable and (more decisively) ready-to-go solution for the team he signs with, but that however could depend on what else happens in free agency.
