Baker Mayfield says he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are not anywhere close on a new contract, and that is enough to push his future into the conversation that follows every star quarterback without a deal. A Steelers radio personality then took the next step, floating Pittsburgh as a possible destination for Mayfield in 2027.
Daryl Ruiter did not hide the thought. He said he had a team for Mayfield and that it was not the Browns, then added that the Steelers would be a “delicious” landing spot for him next year. It was the kind of comment that turns a contract question into a broader league watch, especially with Mayfield now 31 years old and still viewed as one of the better starters in the game.
The timing matters because Mayfield has been with Tampa Bay since 2023 and has stabilized a franchise that kept asking the quarterback question after his stops with the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams. He is a two-time Pro Bowler, the No. 1 overall draft pick, and the player who led the Cleveland Browns to their first playoff win in more than a quarter-century. Since arriving in Tampa, he has taken the Buccaneers to the playoffs twice and settled in as the kind of starter teams usually try to keep off the open market.
That is what makes the contract gap stand out. The Buccaneers are talking about a proven quarterback who has already delivered enough to be counted among top-tier starters, but Mayfield’s own words leave no room for a quick resolution. The sides are not close, and that is a problem now because every month without progress makes the possibility of a later move easier to imagine.
For Pittsburgh, the idea is more hypothetical than immediate. The Steelers already have their quarterback room lined up for 2026, with Aaron Rodgers set to start, Mason Rudolph projected as the top backup, and Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar behind him. Rodgers, who is 42 years old in the season discussed, helped the Steelers to their first AFC North title in five years last season after throwing 25 total touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2025. That leaves no obvious opening right now, but it also explains why a 2027 idea can catch on so quickly when a veteran starter like Mayfield becomes available in conversation.
For now, the story is less about a move than about a possibility that has already been spoken aloud. Mayfield is in Tampa Bay today, the Buccaneers still have him as their starter, and Pittsburgh is not a live option for 2026. What happens next depends on whether the Buccaneers can turn a stalled contract conversation into a new deal before a future rumor starts sounding less like a joke and more like a roadmap.
