Yes, the 2026 season has yet to begin, so looking ahead to March of 2027 feels a bit premature. However, in this specific case, an exception can be made.
As it currently stands, the Pittsburgh Steelers do not have a proven long-term answer at quarterback on their roster. Regardless of how you feel about Drew Allar and Will Howard, neither has taken an NFL snap and there is far more unknown than known when it comes to both of them.
With Aaron Rodgers making it clear that this is his final season, the Steelers will once again be in quarterback limbo once the 2026 season concludes. However, there may be a high-profile option who is there for the taking.
Somewhat quietly, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is entering the final year of his contract. Should he and the Bucs fail to come to terms on an extension, he will hit the open market as a free agent next March. Per Mayfield himself, the two sides aren’t close to a deal.
“Not anywhere close to what we were thinking,” Mayfield said via Rick Stroud. “[I] would love to be here long term. But as of right now, that’s not exactly the case. But I’m under contract for 2026. The guys in that locker room, the staff know that I’m still gonna be me. I’m still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. To me that’s the priority. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Mayfield is currently the 16th-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL at $33.3 million per year. Wherever he goes in 2027, he will certainly see that number increase.
Over the last three seasons, Mayfield has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the NFL. In that span, Mayfield has thrown the second-most touchdowns (105) and the fifth-most yards (13.268) while leading the Bucs to a 27-24 record, two playoff appearances, and a win in the wild card round against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 season.
In terms of what an eventual contract for Mayfield would look like, the bare minimum would be what Daniel Jones got from the Indianapolis Colts, which is $44 million per year. Mayfield has comfortably out-performed Jones, and his deal will certainly exceed that of the Colts quarterback.
The next-highest-paid quarterbacks after Jones is Patrick Mahomes at $45 million per year, which is still the same 10-year extension he signed back in 2020. Above him is Deshaun Watson at $46 million per year, which continues to be the worst contract in NFL history. Then we get to Jalen Hurts, who sits at $51 million per year. Lamar Jackson ($52 million), Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Jared Goff ($53 million), and Brock Purdy ($53 million) are all other notable contracts in that range. I would expect his eventual deal to be between $45-49 million per year.
For Mayfield, Pittsburgh would make a lot of sense. It’s a division he knows, a town that matches his blue-collar, underdog attitude, and a team that has several pieces in place on both sides of the ball that just need a quarterback to be real threats. And for the Steelers, Mayfield presents their perfect medium. They can avoid a rebuild and not only be competitive, as they were with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Aaron Rodgers, but they can potentially take a step forward and be real players in the AFC – which they could also be this season with Rodgers.
And let’s say Pittsburgh does have a successful season in 2026 – that would be even more reason to pursue Mayfield. He would be the best quarterback they’ve had since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and he could keep the train rolling towards playing games deep into January. It also wouldn’t hider the Steelers’ ability to draft a quarterback. Mayfield will be 32 next season. Should they sign him to a three-year deal, they can commit to him in the short and medium-term, while also being able to draft a quarterback to develop behind him and have waiting in the wings.
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