Inside the Baker Mayfield incentive package
Recently, we painted with a broad brush regarding the Baker Mayfield $4.5 million incentive package. Given a new report that Mayfield's contract has a $1 million incentive for winning the NFC South (he doesn't), it's time to get specific.
The Mayfield contract contains four categories of incentives. The first is based on playing time, with more for making it to the playoffs. The second is based on playing and playoffs and offensive performance, as a fallback for failing to earn anything under the first category. The third is based on individual performance rankings. The fourth is based on playoff wins.
In the first category, Mayfield gets $500,000 for taking 66 percent of the offensive snaps. If he takes 66 percent of the snaps and the Bucs make the playoffs, he gets another $500,000. Alternatively, he gets $750,000 for taking 75 percent of the offensive snaps. If he takes 75 percent of the snaps and the Bucs make the playoffs, he gets another $750,000. Alternatively, he gets $1,000,000 for taking 85 percent of the offensive snaps. If he take 85 percent of the snaps and the Bucs make the playoffs, he gets another $1,000,000.
There's no $1 million NFC South championship incentive, per se. If they make the playoffs (as division winner or wild-card), he gets $1 million or $1.5 million or $2 million, based on whether his snap count is 66, 75, or 85 percent. Currently, Mayfield is at 100 percent. With 82 percent of the season in the books, Mayfield will likely nail down a $1 million bonus for playing time today, and another $1 million for making the playoffs.
Mayfield separately can make up to $1.5 million based on finishing in the top 10 in the NFL or top five in the NFC in passer rating ($300,000), touchdown passes ($300,000), total yards passing ($300,000), completion percentage ($300,000), and yards per pass ($300,000).
He also gets $250,000 for each playoff win, up to another $1 million.
The maximum incentive package is $4.5 million. He's on the brink of making at least $2 million, if the Bucs make the playoffs. Given that his base package is only $4 million, it's a nice little bump for Baker.
As recently explained, the real reward is looming, either with a new Bucs contract, a new contract from a new team, or the franchise tag, which will be in the range of $35 million for 2024.
