Tempers are high between Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after extension talks turned south.
Tampa Bay essentially offered Mayfield a two-year extension with an AAV of $50 million. Totaled over Mayfield's remaining three years, that would've made him a top-five paid quarterback in the league.
However, Mayfield was reportedly "insulted" by the offer, particularly when it came to the length of the deal. That presented a potential opening for a team like the Arizona Cardinals, with cap space and a dire quarterback problem, to pursue Mayfield in 2027 free agency.
Adam Schefter doesn't see Baker Mayfield hitting the market
Unfortunately, NFL insider Adam Schefter recently shot down that possibility on "The Pat McAfee Show." Mayfield becoming a free agent may not be up to him, as the worst-case scenario is the Buccaneers would simply use the franchise tag.
“I don’t think he is going to hit the market,” Schefter said. “That doesn’t mean Tampa and Baker can’t get a deal worked out, or they won’t get a deal worked out. But Tampa has the franchise tag next year... When you have that tag, it gives you a little bit of leverage."
If Mayfield was insulted by a two-year extension, he's not going to be very happy about the possibility of a franchise tag. As Schefter notes, that should give Tampa Bay key leverage in negotiations.
Neither side may be thrilled with how this deal ultimately goes down, but it beats the alternative of a franchise tag. Baker gets that multi-year security while the Buccaneers buy themselves time to retool around their franchise quarterback, hopefully convincing him to stay longer in the process.
Cardinals must find their next quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft
It's possible the relationship between Baker and the Bucs is beyond repair, but even if that's the case, a franchise tag remains on the table if neither side can come to an agreement. Having a disgruntled quarterback starting next year is better than no quarterback at all, especially an above-average starter like Mayfield.
For the Cardinals, this latest update by Schefter means they'll have to find their next starter in the draft rather than free agency. Besides Mayfield, the other potential options are nothing more than stopgaps no better than their current Jacoby Brissett situation.
It makes it that much more important that Arizona secures a top-five pick this season so they can come away with an Arch Manning, Dante Moore, or Darian Mensah.
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