Contract-Year Baker Mayfield Begins Audition for Half the NFL as 2027 Free Agency Looms

Baker Mayfield enters the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' preseason Week 2 slate under a cloud of uncertainty that has nothing to do with his on-field performance. The 31-year-old quarterback will play out the 2026 season on the final year of his three-year, $100 million contract with no extension in sight after Tampa Bay let his self-imposed July deadline pass without a new deal.

That means every preseason snap, every regular-season drive, and every moment in the spotlight this year doubles as an audition for the rest of the league. Mayfield is heading into unrestricted free agency in March 2027, and the list of potential suitors is already taking shape.

The most intriguing possibility? The Pittsburgh Steelers, the team that has tormented Mayfield and his former Cleveland Browns for decades. Pittsburgh is bracing for life after Aaron Rodgers, who has publicly stated that 2026 will be his final NFL season. The Steelers won the AFC North last year with Rodgers under center, but they have no long-term answer at quarterback once he retires.

Mayfield to Pittsburgh would be one of the NFL's most ironic twists. He spent the first four years of his career with the Browns, enduring brutal losses to the Steelers and the relentless hostility of AFC North football. Now, as a proven veteran who has resurrected his career in Tampa Bay, he could return to that division wearing black and gold.

"He understands what Steelers-Browns games feel like," one league analyst told CBS Sports earlier this summer. "That experience would only make the transition to Pittsburgh easier. The Steelers need a long-term answer, and Mayfield could be it."

Tampa Bay's front office has made it clear they are not budging on a new contract during the 2026 season. Mayfield set his own deadline for an extension, and when it passed on July 28, the window closed. The Buccaneers are betting that Mayfield will perform at a high level regardless of his contract status, and they are willing to risk losing him to free agency rather than overpaying now.

For Mayfield, that creates a fascinating dynamic. He has stressed that he wants to remain in Tampa, but he is also a competitor who has been discarded by teams before. If the Buccaneers refuse to make him a priority, he will have no shortage of options in 2027. The Steelers are the most compelling fit, but other quarterback-needy teams are already circling.

Mayfield will make his preseason debut this Saturday night when the Buccaneers host the Kansas City Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium. It will be his first August action since 2024, and the stakes are higher than any preseason game in his career. He is playing for his future, and that future could take him back to the AFC North in the most unexpected way possible.

The Steelers have been linked to Mayfield in multiple reports over the past two months. Behind the Steel Curtain, a prominent Steelers fan site, published an article titled "Don't rule out Baker Mayfield as the Steelers' 2027 quarterback," arguing that the fit makes too much sense to ignore. Heavy.com has also floated Pittsburgh as a "possible option" for the Pro Bowl quarterback when he hits free agency.

Pittsburgh drafted Drew Allar in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but the rookie is still developing and is not ready to start in 2027. The Steelers could use Mayfield as a bridge quarterback for two or three years while Allar learns the system, giving them a proven winner who can keep them competitive in the AFC North.

For now, Mayfield is focused on leading Tampa Bay to a playoff run in 2026. But every pass he throws this season, including the ones in preseason, will be watched closely by teams planning for 2027. The Steelers are watching. The Browns are watching. And Mayfield, who has rebuilt his career from the rubble of Cleveland and Los Angeles, is about to prove once again that counting him out is a mistake.

Contract-year Baker Mayfield is the NFL's most motivated quarterback, and the preseason is just the beginning of what could be his most important season yet.