Baker Mayfield was already written off after five years in the NFL with the Browns, Panthers and Rams. In Tampa Bay, he bet on himself, went all-in and is enjoying his first paydays. More are to follow.

Baker Mayfield is a gambler.

Because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback bet on himself. Athletically. But also financially. And the former number 1 pick has so far done the math.

First of all, financially.

Because Mayfield has raked in quite a few bonuses this season. His base salary for the risky one-year contract with the Bucs is four million dollars.

He has collected 2.85 million dollars in bonuses to date. A further 750,000 dollars could be added, as he receives 250,000 dollars for every playoff win in which he plays at least 75 percent of the snaps. The Buccaneers travel to the Detroit Lions on Sunday in the Divisional Round.

Baker Mayfield: Strong numbers

Two million dollars so far for Mayfield after taking at least 85 percent of the regular season snaps in the offense and leading the team to the postseason.

He received $300,000 each for finishing in the league top 10 in passing yards (he was ninth with 4,044) and in the top 10 in passing touchdowns (seventh, with 28).

Both are personal bests, by the way, as is the 64.3 percent passing accuracy. The average rating of 96.2 is his second-best career value, as are the only ten interceptions.

Mayfield is thriving after few were betting on him after five years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. Some things went well in that time, but too many did not. He did not remain injury-free either, which made the 2021 and 2022 seasons complicated.

He was repeatedly written off, even after an attempted restart with the Panthers. That has become something of a trademark. Just like the characteristic of being a stand-up guy.

“It’s always fun to be written off,” Mayfield said after the 32-9 loss in the Wild Card Round against the Philadelphia Eagles. “Obviously I’m pretty comfortable with that, but our team completely took over.”

He had a gala performance – throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns – in leading the team to the Divisional Round against the Eagles, one round further than arguably the best quarterback in history a year earlier.

Tom Brady soars over the Bucs

Because yes, of course the name Tom Brady was always hovering over the Buccaneers.

But Mayfield didn’t care much about being the direct successor. The chemistry was right in the locker room, Mayfield fit in well, was himself. And that fit. He did one thing in particular that earned him the respect of his teammates.

“The good thing about Baker is that he didn’t come in to be Tom’s replacement. He just came to be Baker Mayfield. That’s exactly what we needed him to be,” wide receiver Chris Godwin told Sports Illustrated. “We want him to be the best version of himself. His personality, the way he works, the way he interacts with the guys – the guys can feel how genuine he is. He goes out there and fights.”

Not just for bonuses, but also for his future. And that now looks a lot brighter than it did a few months ago His contract is up, so it’s not unlikely that the Bucs will pick Mayfield as a franchise quarterback despite the strong playmaking class in the draft.

If so, he’s likely to get a payday. Just like as a free agent, which he will become if the Buccaneers decide not to keep him. After this season, there should be no shortage of suitors.

Either way, it’s a win-win situation. Best thing that could happen to a punter