Baker Mayfield is in the final year of a 3-year, $100 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now that the timeline is sensitive, NFL analyst Mike Florio already believes that the quarterback is one foot out of Tampa Bay. To him, Mayfield will put his respect over money and walk out of the Buccaneers camp.

“Once he’s a free agent, it doesn’t matter if somebody else is offering less,” Florio said on the Pardon My Take podcast on August 15. “He could take less just as a middle finger to the Buccaneers for not paying him when they had the chance.”

Baker Mayfield and the Bucs had begun negotiations in the offseason, but the offer was “disappointing.” He has said he is open to a deal in the $50 million-per-year range. Mayfield had given the team a deadline till the start of training camp, but they could not reach an agreement.

Mayfield’s current contract leaves the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with approximately $30 million in dead money next, whether they retain him through an extension or the franchise tag. The latter option would set the franchise back by $50 million. In all, Tampa Bay might have to part with $80 million.

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At the same time, the Bucs might not be trusting Baker Mayfield enough. He is returning after an injury-shortened season, and there is always a risk of injury. But at the same time, if Mayfield balls out and returns to his 2024 form, he can command a very steep price from Tampa Bay.

Perhaps to leave the Bucs with some pain, Mayfield could choose to go to a team with a great career outlook even if they offered him less.

“I could see him taking less money to go to Pittsburgh, like Pittsburgh is the perfect, it just feels like the perfect destination for him,” Florio added.

This is the last season Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be playing in the NFL. Even though the AFC North team might now consider younger quarterbacks like Drew Allar or Will Howard, we have seen Pittsburgh prefer veterans (re: Russell Wilson), and Mayfield checks off the boxes.

Coming to Tampa Bay in the wake of Tom Brady’s retirement, he led the Bucs to two playoff appearances and earned two Pro Bowl selections in three seasons. Mayfield claims the top brass sees him as a “franchise quarterback,” but whether the Bucs really show that with a respectable contract is a mystery.