QB-Needy NFL Teams That Should Keep Tabs on Bucs' Baker Mayfield During 2026 Season

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield did not reach a new contract agreement before the start of training camp. Mayfield is now set to play on the final year of his contract, and he isn't particularly happy about how the offers the Bucs have made thus far.

"Disappointing in that regard to not have … to feel disrespected a little bit," Mayfield told reporters (h/t NFL.com's Nick Shook). "That's really the disappointing part, to feel undervalued after thinking you've earned it."

The 31-year-old two-time Pro Bowler is now set to hit the market in 2027.

There's still a chance that Tampa signs Mayfield to an acceptable extension—or simply keeps him via the franchise tag—and the 2027 draft class is expected to be deep at the quarterback position. However, the following teams should at least keep tabs on Mayfield because he might be the top alternative to a highly drafted rookie.

Why Mayfield Would be an Strong Free-Agent Option

AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Mayfield has had an interesting career since being the top pick in the 2018 draft. He helped the Cleveland Browns win their first playoff game since their 1999 return but was jettisoned after their ill-fated trade for Deshaun Watson. Following an underwhelming stint with the Carolina Panthers and a brief but promising stay with the Los Angeles Rams, he became the heir to Tom Brady in Tampa.

Since joining the Buccaneers, Mayfield has raised his NFL stock significantly. He's helped lead two playoff campaigns and appeared in two Pro Bowls while posting a 97.4 quarterback rating with the franchise.

If the Bucs do allow Mayfield to reach free agency, he'll be the top option on a market that is otherwise headlined by Justin Fields, Joe Flacco, Jacoby Brissett, and Watson.

Teams looking for a long-term answer at quarterback will likely be weighing Mayfield against a 2027 draft class that could be headlined by Arch Manning, Dante Moore, LaNorris Sellers, Darian Mensah, CJ Carr, Drew Mestemaker, and Julian Sayin—though it's hard to know which QBs will actually declare.

Manning, Mensah, Moore, Mestemaker, Carr, Sellers, and Drake Lindsey were all first-round picks in a June mock draft from Brent Sobleski of the B/R Scouting Department.

While a young quarterback on a rookie contract is always intriguing, though, incoming prospects are always unproven, and not every team will be guaranteed to get its first or second choice. At least a few franchises will need to seriously consider adding Mayfield and spending their draft capital on other positions.

Arizona Cardinals

AP PhotoKareem Elgazzar

Cardinals TE Trey McBride

The Arizona Cardinals are not expected to be very competitive in 2026—they ranked 31st in Bleacher Report's pre-camp power rankings. However, there's a very real chance that Arizona will be better than expected, at least offensively.

New head coach Mike LaFleur inherited an offense brimming with offensive playmakers and has only seen the unit improve. In April, the Cardinals added do-everything rookie running back Jeremiyah Love to a group that is headlined by Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr.

Arizona could realistically have one of the league's best skill groups in 2026, and if LaFleur can juggle the challenges of being a first-time head coach and the team's play-caller, the Cardinals could be competitive enough to miss out on one of the top quarterbacks in next year's draft.

And a long-term answer at quarterback is exactly what Arizona is missing. The Cardinals have a quality bridge option in Jacoby Brissett, and a lottery ticket in third-round rookie Carson Beck, but they don't have a solid answer at the position. Mayfield could potentially provide it.

The Oklahoma product has thrived with a strong Buccaneers offensive group, and one could argue that Arizona's is even more impressive than Tampa's following the addition of Love. LaFleur also studied under Sean McVay, as did Liam Coen, Mayfield's offensive coordinator in 2024.

From a coaching and personnel standpoint, the Cardinals would be a terrific fit for Mayfield. If things don't line up for Arizona to have its first or second choice of quarterbacks in the draft, it should be very interested in making Mayfield a top free-agent target.

Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman

Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan

There are a couple of caveats when it comes to Carolina. The biggest is that the Panthers currently have a starting quarterback in 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young. While Young hasn't played up to his draft status (80.9 career QB rating), he did show growth in 2025 while helping Carolina win the NFC South.

The Panthers exercised the fifth-year option on Young's rookie contract, so he remains in the franchise's immediate plans. If he makes another jump in 2026, he'll probably entrench himself in the long-term equation.

If Young regresses, however, Carolina could heavily consider other options. Reuniting Mayfield and head coach Dave Canales—who was Mayfield's offensive coordinator in 2023—could make a ton of sense.

Of course, the other caveat is that Mayfield has been with the franchise before, and things didn't go well. For him, though, it might not be a dealbreaker.

Mayfield probably has no interest in returning to a Browns franchise that dumped him for Watson. He may not want to join the head coach partially responsible for that move in Cleveland, Kevin Stefanski, which would take the Atlanta Falcons off the table. However, the coach and GM that were in place during Mayfield's 2022 stint in Carolina are long gone.

And the Panthers were willing to release Mayfield when he requested it, which led to his chance with the Rams.

The Panthers are defending division champs, and if Young can build on what he accomplished last season, Carolina won't be in the quarterback market. However, the franchise should at least keep an eye on Mayfield just in case its current quarterback plan goes south.

Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

In a vacuum, the Minnesota Vikings would provide the perfect landing spot for Mayfield. They have a quarterback-friendly head coach in Kevin O'Connell, and they have a loaded receiving corps led by Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson.

Minnesota has also been willing to take chances on former first-round picks like Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Kyler Murray.

Of course, Murray is currently battling with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy for the Vikings' starting job. If he wins it and performs as well as Darnold did a couple of years ago, he'll probably cement himself as Minnesota's quarterback of the future. If he doesn't, however, his future will be very uncertain.

"If McCarthy does win it, people around the league would be interested to see whether the Vikings even keep Murray, since they also brought back veteran Carson Wentz, who proved to be a capable fill-in last season before suffering his own season-ending injury," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote on Wednesday.

Even if McCarthy is the Vikings' better option coming out of camp, that doesn't guarantee he'll settle the QB position long-term. He rarely played well last season, even when healthy, and he's already developing a concerning injury history. If he starts in 2026, and flops again, the Vikings are going to look at other options.

And the team is probably too talented to land a high draft slot in 2027.

Mayfield could provide the quarterback stability that Minnesota had two years ago during Darnold's lone season with the club. The Vikings ranked ninth in scoring offense that season and finished with an impressive 14-3 record.

The difference is that Mayfield has already established himself in the NFL and would almost certainly join Minnesota on a long-term deal instead of the one-year "prove-it" contract that Darnold signed in 2024.

New York Jets

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Jets WR Garrett Wilson

Equipped with three 2027 first-round picks, the New York Jets appear poised to find their next quarterback of the future in next year's draft. However, the Jets, who haven't drafted quarterbacks particularly well, should explore every avenue for finding a signal-caller.

If New York ends up with one of the first few picks in the draft, it'll probably become sold on a rookie like Arch Manning or Dante Moore. If the Jets slip out of the top five, however, Mayfield could become a very intriguing option. He's proven himself to be an above-average starter when healthy, and he'd be a safer option than New York's third or fourth choice among rookies.

While the Jets currently have a veteran bridge QB in Geno Smith, Mayfield is younger and possesses much more upside.

Adding Mayfield and then using those three first-rounders to further bolster his supporting cast could be a very intriguing option—especially with a solid offensive core already in place.

Traditionally, the Jets haven't been an attractive landing spot for quarterbacks, but things are moving in the right direction. Mayfield could do much worse than landing with a roster that boasts Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Olu Fashanu, Armand Membou, Tim Patrick, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr.

In fact, adding a quality veteran like Mayfield—and a few more blue-chip rookies—to the current roster might be the quickest way to return the Jets to AFC East relevance.

Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Nam Huh

Steelers WR DK Metcalf

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, but they're running it back with Aaron Rodgers behind center. While Rodgers should be a steady starter through this season, he's made it clear that he won't consider returning again in 2027.

"Zero debate," Rodgers told reporters on Tuesday (h/t ESPN's Brooke Pryor).

What will the Steelers do at quarterback when Rodgers calls it a career? That's arguably the biggest question hanging over the franchise entering 2026—even with Rodgers, McCarthy, and the rest of the team focused on the coming season.

Rodgers has provided the most stability the Steelers have had since Ben Roethlisberger retired, but this is his last ride. While Pittsburgh has a couple of developmental quarterbacks in Will Howard and rookie third-rounder Drew Allar, it doesn't have a clear long-term answer.

If recent history is an accurate indication, the Steelers won't draft highly enough to find that answer in next year's draft. They're entering a new era post-Mike Tomlin, but they haven't experienced a losing season since 2003, the year before Roethlisberger was drafted.

Mayfield would be a great option to take the baton from Rodgers in 2027. He has the arm talent, big-play ability (2nd-most TD passes over last three seasons), and mobility to emulate Rodgers' playing style in McCarthy's offense. His fearlessness and gritty style of leadership would mesh with the traditionally physical image of Steelers football.

While Mayfield has gone just 2-3 in the playoffs, he's performed well (105.9 postseason QB rating) and delivered wins, something the Steelers haven't had in nearly a decade.