The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have finally reached an extension with quarterback Baker Mayfield. It's a lucrative three-year, $165 million deal, ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.
This officially takes Mayfield off the market as a potential 2027 free agency target. That's a league-altering development, especially given the uncertainty surrounding whether Mayfield's career would continue in Tampa Bay.
Baker Mayfield is no longer a potential 2027 free agency target for the Cardinals
While he's found the most success of his career with the Buccaneers, the two sides failed to reach a new deal by Mayfield's self-imposed deadline (the end of training camp). After that, and after Mayfield expressed disappointment with how the process played out, teams across the league in dire need of a starting quarterback were excited about the possibility of him being their solution next summer.
The Arizona Cardinals are perhaps one of the teams most negatively affected by the two sides ultimately meeting in the middle before the start of the 2026 season, though you could also make the case for teams more directly affected in the NFC South as they have to continue containing a Mayfield-led offense in Tampa Bay.
Still, if the Mayfield situation were to continue its downward spiral, the Cardinals likely would've emerged as an attractive landing spot. They have the offensive infrastructure in place to maximize an incoming quarterback's talents, headlined by players like tight end Trey McBride and recent No. 3 overall pick running back Jeremiyah Love.
Adding Mayfield into the mix with that strong group of offensive playmakers at his disposal would've immediately put Arizona in the playoff conversation, even in a stacked NFC West. Now, their search for an upgrade over stopgap Jacoby Brissett continues.
Cardinals must pivot to 2027 NFL Draft to find their quarterback
With the potential 2027 free agency headliner Mayfield already coming off the board in September, it's becoming increasingly likely that they'll have to find that quarterback answer via the draft instead.
Fortunately, the Cardinals are projected to have another top-ten pick in a draft with multiple quarterback prospects at the top of the class. Dante Moore, Arch Manning, Darian Mensah, and even CJ Carr are all names that should be in consideration early on for Arizona.
That's a silver lining to missing out on Mayfield, though it also shows the rebuilding Cardinals are still years away from becoming playoff-relevant. An above-average veteran like Mayfield would make them instantly competitive, while someone like Moore or Manning, as intriguing prospects as they are, will likely still need more time to develop. Even the Raiders' recent No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, is taking a backseat to Kirk Cousins to start the season in Las Vegas.
There's also the uncertainty and level of risk attached to hoping to find that answer in the draft. Arizona unfortunately knows all too well that even a No. 1 pick isn't guaranteed, as it officially moves on from the Kyler Murray era.
Mayfield would've been an immediate upgrade at the position, but his new deal with Tampa Bay is much deserved after turning around his career. Instead of having the established asset in Mayfield, still in his prime at 31 years old, it looks like the Cardinals are going to have to gamble in the draft.
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