Quarterbacks is the most important position in football, and its one of the most important positions in all of sports. So naturally, they get paid.

The quarterback market is always rising, and certain factors can determine just how much a signal caller gets. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers locked in quarterback Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $100 million contract after the 2023 season, half of which is guaranteed. That’s around $33.3 million a year, but that number is dwarfed by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy’s recent deal with the 49ers — Purdy signed a five-year deal, $265 million deal with $181 million of that guaranteed.

Some parts of this disparity make sense, which we’ll go into below, but a big question remains — what does Purdy’s new deal mean for Baker Mayfield?

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy greets Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

There are a few reasons why Purdy got a much bigger deal than Baker Mayfield did two years prior. The obvious first one is that Purdy got his deal done later, two years after Mayfield, and that tends to lend to bigger paydays. There are a few other factors at play, though — Purdy is younger, at age 25 to Mayfield’s 30, and he’s been to a Super Bowl within the past three years he’s played for the 49ers. Purdy is heading into his fourth season in the NFL, while Mayfield is heading into his eighth, so that disparity is a reason why Purdy is getting paid that much more.

That being said, Mayfield’s deal with the Bucs is looking better every day. Mayfield is one of the lowest-paid starting quarterbacks in the NFL, coming in at 19th, yet he’s thrown 77 touchdowns in his last two seasons in Tampa Bay, including the postseason. Mayfield does need to watch his turnovers, throwing 26 picks in two years and fumbling the ball 21 times, but Purdy has also thrown 21 interceptions in his past two years. That disparity isn’t that big, and given that Mayfield has thrown 18 more touchdowns, there’s a good argument that he’s been playing better football.

So what does that mean for Mayfield’s next contract? It could be much bigger. Mayfield is set to be a free agent after the 2026 season in 2027, when he’ll be 32 years old. His age shouldn’t be an issue — eight of top 20 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL are 30 or older, so if Mayfield keeps producing, that won’t be a problem.

Mayfield will indeed need to keep producing at a high level for the next two seasons he’s under contract, and part of that will be limiting turnovers and fumbles and perhaps making a deep run in the playoffs, but if he can do that, he’s likely due to eclipse Purdy’s numbers. Over the Cap estimates Mayfield’s value at $40,698,000, just over $7 million more than he is currently being paid, while Spotrac pegs it at a much higher $60 million, which is bigger than the deal Purdy just got.

One thing is agreed upon — Mayfield is making far too little for the production he puts out. And if he’s able to keep that production going and limit his negative plays in the future, he could be one of the NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks in the near future.