Bucs Trade Proposal Sends $100 Million Pro Bowler to AFC North

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gotten far more than they bargained for from QB Baker Mayfield since joining the team ahead of the 2023 NFL season.

Yet, one Bucs trade proposal would see the organization parting ways with their unquestioned starting quarterback ahead of the 2025 NFL trade deadline.

Bucs Trade Proposal Sends Baker Mayfield to the Pittsburgh Steelers

Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon bold predicted a blockbuster trade that would send Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield to the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Gagnon wrote, “In this case, it’s the same idea as above but if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fall off a cliff and Baker Mayfield is at the center of that collapse. It’s possible considering the team is generally over the hill and the talented but inconsistent Mayfield tied Cousins with a league-high 16 interceptions in 2024.”

The idea of the Bucs trading a quarterback who has thrown for 8,544 yards and 69 touchdowns with a pair of NFC South division titles to his resume over his first two years with the team is hard to wrap your mind around, but the Steelers are certainly in the market for a potential long-term solution under center.

Gagnon added, “Could a contender with quarterback issues decide to roll the dice on him taking off following a change of scenery? We won’t speculate on injuries, but the Steelers and Vikings both come to mind in the event that either the Aaron Rodgers experiment blows up quickly or J.J. McCarthy gets off to a horrible start in Minnesota.”

Aaron Rodgers could be entering his final year in the league and J.J. McCarthy is in a great situation to reach his potential in the NFL but is still an unknown entering a redshirt rookie year of sorts after sustaining a knee injury ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

If the Bucs were to deal Baker before the trade deadline, Tampa Bay would finally get a long and definitive look at their 2020 second round pick Kyle Trask under center — who has barely taken the field over the first four years of his pro career.

Is 2025 a Make-Or-Break Year for Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay?

The Buccaneers enter the 2025 NFL season with Super Bowl expectations, but do have a handful of veteran players who have dealt with injuries in recent years.

If the Bucs completely stumble out of the gates, then moving him ahead of the NFL trade deadline becomes a bit more plausible.

Gagnon concluded, “We’ll lean toward the Vikes having a longer leash with their young quarterback, because who knows what will happen with the 41-year-old Rodgers.”

If the Bucs don’t get close to the Super Bowl in 2025, they may have some financial decisions to make on players like Mayfield, Lavonte David, and Mike Evans.

Ultimately, the Bucs have done an outstanding job keeping the core of their roster in Tampa through multiple contract extensions. Yet, Mayfield’s performance in a Bucs uniform is positioning him for a potentially massive payday in the near future.

It feels highly unlikely the Bucs are going to trade Mayfield in 2025, but his performance this year could directly influence a handful of decisions the team is going to face this upcoming offseason.