The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield have both made it clear they’d like to work out a long-term contract extension, but they’re running out of time to make it happen.
We’re just days away from NFL free agency officially getting underway, and without a new deal, Mayfield would be able to hit the open market and field offers from other teams who need a quality starting quarterback.
One such team could be the New England Patriots, who have been in rough shape under center since Tom Brady left for Tampa Bay prior to the 2020 season.
Rich Eisen and his crew recently broke down the possibility of the Pats chasing Mayfield to fill that GOAT-shaped void:
Mayfield’s obviously no Brady, but he had the best year of his career last season after replacing the GOAT in Tampa Bay, leading the Bucs to a third straight NFC title.
New England has way more salary cap space to work with than the Bucs do, which could put them in position to raise Mayfield’s price tag beyond what Tampa Bay can afford.
The Bucs’ best option remains to work out a deal with Mayfield that would prevent him from hitting free agency next week. If they can’t, the Pats aren’t the only team that could be willing to break the bank for him.
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