After back-to-back Pro Bowl campaigns in 2023-2024, Mayfield threw for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions – his yardage and TDs the lowest of his Bucs tenure.
Having spearheaded a 6-2 Tampa start, Mayfield’s play waned as injuries piled up. Though he never missed a game, Mayfield rarely missed an injury report, showing up with foot, toe, biceps, knee, oblique and shoulder issues. An injury to his non-throwing shoulder seemed to be the most problematic, as he went from being in early MVP conversations to throwing 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions over the final eight games after tossing 16 TDs and only two picks in his first nine.
Now-former teammate Lavonte David recently tabbed the aforementioned injuries as the culprit behind Mayfield’s travails. As the Buccaneers failed to win the NFC South or make the playoffs for the first time since Mayfield arrived, the 2025 season was a disappointment of the highest order.
Despite the pitfalls of the past season, Mayfield is in need of a raise, as his current yearly average of $33.3 million is $16th in the league, per Over the Cap, and far behind the 10 signal-callers currently pulling in north of $50 million per.
Glazer defers to general manager Jason Licht when it comes to those matters.
“That’s part of Jason’s planning and everything,” Glazer said. “I know Jason’s looking at it all. It’s a constant thing that you look at.
“There are a time and a place for everything and everything always takes care of itself.”
Taken by the Cleveland Browns with the top pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Mayfield was traded by the Browns to the Carolina Panthers before the 2022 season. His time in Charlotte was brief and unsuccessful, leading to his departure for a brief stay with the Los Angeles Rams. Having suddenly become a nomad, Mayfield was picked up by Licht and Co. following Tom Brady’s retirement.
Inked to a one-year prove-it contract, Mayfield eclipsed 4,000 yards passing for the first time in his career in 2023 and earned a multiyear extension.
Regardless of the end results of 2025, it seems as though he’s headed toward another, far more fruitful extension with the Buccaneers.
“Obviously the quarterback is the highest paid position on the team, rightfully so,” Glazer said. “That means that it’s going good, so if the quarterback’s making top money, then your team is probably doing well and the quarterbacks performing well. That’s obviously a key component to success. That doesn’t hurt at all to write that check, it’s something that all the teams do when you have good quarterbacks.”
