An NFL insider believes the Pittsburgh Steelers should target Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield once the current season ends, calling the former No. 1 overall pick a strong match for the franchise’s culture.
The Steelers secured Aaron Rodgers in May on a one-year agreement after months of uncertainty. Rodgers, now 42, has made clear this will mark his final season in the league. That leaves Pittsburgh facing another search for a long-term starter sooner rather than later.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk raised the idea of pursuing Mayfield during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan. Mayfield is playing out the last year of a three-year, $100 million deal and has yet to reach terms on an extension with the Buccaneers.
“Mayfield has created his own deadline,” Florio said. “It’s not a real deadline. In his mind, if it’s not done by the start of training camp, we’re done talking. The challenge is, where does he land as it relates to veteran starting quarterbacks? The range begins in the low 20s and goes all the way up to the mid-60s. Where is Mayfield? Does it start with a four or does it start with a five?”
Florio continued, “You can make the argument that he’s as good or better than some guys who have gotten contracts that start with a five. The Buccaneers may want it to start with a four, but Mayfield is an interesting cat, and I hope he ends up in Pittsburgh. Nothing against the Buccaneers, I just think he fits so well with the mindset and mentality.”
Pittsburgh’s current quarterback group includes Rodgers, backup Mason Rudolph and two recent draft picks in Will Howard and Drew Allar. Rudolph’s contract also expires after this season, creating an opening for a proven veteran if the young players need more time.
Mayfield’s tough, competitive edge lines up with the blue-collar identity long associated with Pittsburgh. He has built a reputation as someone who thrives when others overlook him, a trait that could resonate with Steelers fans and the organization.
Florio highlighted a story Mayfield shared in the Netflix series “Quarterback” to illustrate that drive.
“When he didn’t get the starting job at Texas Tech, when Kliff Kingsbury decided to go with Davis Webb, instead of Mayfield, he just left,” Florio continued. “He enrolled in Oklahoma as a student. He wasn’t even on the football team; he just said, ‘See ya.’ Then, he ran into Bob Stoops, the coach of Oklahoma, and said, ‘Hey I’d like to try out for the football team.’”
“It’s just an amazing example of the extent to which this guy will bet on himself because he has, and he’s won,” Florio added. “That’s why I think, the Bucs gotta be careful because they think they’re gonna offer him more than anyone else. But if you give him freedom, then he has the right to take less from a team like the Steelers if he chooses to do so, just to prove a point to the Buccaneers.”
Whether Mayfield would actually choose Pittsburgh partly out of frustration remains an open question. He has shown little tolerance for feeling undervalued, and a perceived slight from Tampa Bay’s front office could push him toward a different destination.
The Steelers selected Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 draft and Allar in the third round this past April, with 75 players coming off the board ahead of Allar. Development of those prospects is far from guaranteed, and the team would prefer neither see significant action this year while Rodgers leads the offense.
Landing Mayfield would represent a clear step up from the backups and even from the aging Rodgers, according to available performance data. One metric placed Mayfield’s impact score at 74.4, ranking him 22nd among league quarterbacks last season, while Rodgers checked in at 71.9 and 29th.
Steelers decision-makers have not publicly commented on future quarterback plans beyond the current roster. Still, Florio’s comments add another name to the conversation as the organization looks ahead to life after Rodgers.
For now, attention remains on the upcoming season, but next offseason could bring another high-profile pursuit at the position.
