BERE, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – For months we’ve been speculating on and pondering what a contract extension for quarterback Baker Mayfield will look like.
Friday afternoon we got our first clue thanks to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Allen put pen to paper on a six-year extension worth $258 million with $150 million in guaranteed cash.
The contract likely had Mayfield seeing dollar signs.
The $43 million annual average value ranks second behind Patrick Mahomes’ 10-year $450 million deal with the Chiefs.
Allen was selected seventh overall in 2018, six slots behind the No. 1 pick, Mayfield.
Side-by-side, Allen’s resume to date eclipses Mayfield.
Allen led the Bills to the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, reaching the AFC Championship game in January. He finished second in MVP voting as well and was named to the Pro Bowl and second-team All Pro after completing 69.2% of his passes for 4,544 yards with 37 touchdowns and a 107.2 rating last season.
In his first three years, Allen is 28-15 in the regular season as a starter with a 61.8 completion percentage. He’s thrown for 9,707 yards, 67 touchdowns, 31 interceptions and a 90.4 rating.
Mayfield has helped resurrect the Browns, who prior to his arrival did not win a game in 2017 and went 4-44 the previous three seasons combined.
The former Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma finished 2020 strong by completing 62.8% of his passes and throwing for 3,563 yards, 26 touchdowns and a career-low eight interceptions with a 95.9 rating last season.
Over the last three years Mayfield has thrown for more yards – 11,115, and touchdowns – 75, than Allen but is 23-22 in the regular season as a starter and has not made a Pro Bowl or finished in the top five in MVP voting.
Lamar Jackson, taken 32nd in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Ravens, is also up for an extension, but is trying to negotiate without an agent.
Jackson won the league MVP honors in 2019, where he made the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro. Jackson is 30-7 as Baltimore’s starter and has completed 64.0% of his passes for 7,085 yards with 68 touchdowns, 18 interceptions and a 102.6 rating while rushing for 2,906 yards and 19 touchdowns over his first three seasons combined.
An agreement with Jackson would also help shape the market for Mayfield.
Based on Allen’s new deal, Mayfield could be looking at a contract extension that pays on average $40 million per season, meaning a five-year, $200 million or six-year $240 million extension would not be the least bit surprising.
Extending Mayfield as soon as possible would benefit the Browns and EVP/GM Andrew Berry the most as he plans out long-term cash and cap spending beyond Mayfield’s rookie deal, which expires after the 2022 season.
Mayfield could easily choose to bet on himself and wait until next year because another double-digit win and playoff season, plus an increase in production could push his annual dollars closer to or past Allen’s.
