After some early conjecture surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers potentially targeting Baker Mayfield as a free agent in 2027, the quarterback ended up re-signing. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers just extended the signal-caller's contract with a massive three-year deal worth $165 million. That is a big payday for Mayfield, and one that will end up saving the Steelers in their long-term outlook.
Any chance of bringing Mayfield to Pittsburgh was always a pipe dream.
It was always more likely that the gunslinger would sign a new contract with Tampa Bay rather than hit free agency. He is coming off a down season, but before that, he was one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. This new agreement is more of a gamble by the team, as it could turn around and bite them if Baker Mayfield doesn't return to form.
Any sort of speculation surrounding the veteran and the Steelers going into the season was always a Hail Mary scenario. He would've needed to hit free agency, with Pittsburgh as a destination, and the organization would have to pony up significant money for him. Mayfield joining the Steelers made sense on paper, but missing out on him as a free agent target might work out for them in the long run.
Pittsburgh Steelers saved their long-term quarterback plan with Baker Mayfield's new contract
With this being Aaron Rodgers' final season of his career, the Steelers will be back in an all-too-familiar boat. They won't have a clear starting quarterback once again. They have dealt with similar uncertainty for the past couple of offseasons, but it will be even more so this time around. Without Rodgers in the mix, Pittsburgh will only have Drew Allar and Will Howard under contract for next year.
If Baker Mayfield made it to free agency, you better believe Pittsburgh would have been interested.
They love to bring in veteran quarterbacks, and although he was going to cost much more than Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers, he could've kept their playoff aspirations alive. Without Mayfield being a viable option going into next offseason, it could force them to change their approach.
There is still plenty of football to be played, but draft experts continue to hype up the potential 2027 NFL Draft class at the quarterback position. It will be interesting if that hype holds true when the college football season concludes. Don't forget that many were hyping up the 2026 crop of quarterbacks going into last year, only for those players to fail to live up to expectations.
It is time for the Steelers to finally locate the young franchise quarterback the team has been starving for.
Without Baker Mayfield as a potential fit for this upcoming offseason, Pittsburgh might be forced to turn towards some younger pieces. They should be focused on having Will Howard, Drew Allar, and another high draft pick battle for the starting job once and for all.
Add us as a preferred source on Google