2024 NFL Free Agent Quarterback: Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield woke up Feeling Dangerous in 2023
Baker Mayfield joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year to compete for the QB1 job against Kyle Trask. If you recall, many had Trask winning that job. Not only did Mayfield win it, he led the Bucs past the Eagles in the wildcard playoffs, falling short in the divisional round to the Detroit Lions. Mayfield threw for the most yards of his career with 4,044 yards and most touchdowns with 28. The production came at a great time as his one-year deal has expired, and he will receive a nice payday since spotrac.com estimates he should receive $27.1 million annually. The question is: Will this come from the Buccaneers or another quarterback-needy franchise? He should have plenty of options on the open market, but let’s dive into the fantasy implications of where he may go.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Staying in the Bay should be the Buccaneer’s main priority now since Mike Evans has officially signed his deal to remain in Tampa. Baker Mayfield finished as the QB10, just a few points behind CJ Stroud and Patrick Mahomes. The Bucs did lose their offensive coordinator, Dave Canelas, to be the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Time will tell if Baker can duplicate his numbers from last season with the new OC, Liam Coen, who comes from the LA Rams. At least there is some familiarity, as Baker played in five games with the Rams in 2022 under Coen. If the Bucs can keep him in Tampa, I see no reason he can’t repeat the same numbers as last year. He will be drafted as a high-end QB2 but has the potential to finish as a backend QB1 next season.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons can swoop in and snag Baker Mayfield because they have cap flexibility, Raheem Morris and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. Robinson was the quarterbacks coach with the Rams during Baker’s short tenure in LA. It makes sense to surround yourself with familiar foes, so the Falcons are a legitimate team to bring him in. Fantasy impact in Atlanta is very intriguing because they have a young, talented offensive group with Drake London on the outside, Kyle Pitts anchoring down the tight end spot, and Bijan Robinson to lean on in the run game. I wouldn’t mind his fantasy situation in Atlanta, and I could see him finishing as a top-10 quarterback or better. Baker Mayfield would finally put the Drake London and Kyle Pitts season into motion. He would be drafted as a QB2 but finish in the top 10 next season.
New England Patriots
It’s a dark horse scenario, but the Patriots could throw everything they have to lure him to New England. They have the number 3 overall pick, so they would trade it or select wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr out of Ohio State if they were to win the sweepstakes. As the roster currently stands, Baker’s fantasy outlook would be ugly. The depth chart could change a lot if the domino in Baker Mayfield were to fall. We will keep our eyes on this one, but regardless, the Patriots could be highly active in free agency.