Buccaneers named a team that should take a chance on Brendan Sorsby
· Yahoo Sports
The Buccaneers have publicly backed Baker Mayfield, but his contract situation has made Tampa Bay one of the more interesting teams to watch in the Brendan Sorsby discussion.
CBS Sports listed the Buccaneers as a team that should take a chance on Sorsby, the polarizing quarterback entering the NFL supplemental draft after an NCAA eligibility issue tied to sports betting. The logic is rooted in Tampa Bay’s uncertainty about its quarterback situation beyond 2026. Mayfield is entering the final year of his current contract, and while coach Todd Bowles has remained adamant in his support of the former No. 1 overall pick as the franchise’s starting quarterback, the lack of a long-term agreement has created a conversation about what the Buccaneers should do if the relationship becomes more complicated.
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Mayfield has made his preference clear. He wants a deal handled before training camp, or the talks can wait until after the season.
“We love the community, we love being here, they’ve embraced us, and we enjoy being here and obviously gonna raise kids here,” Mayfield said, via NFL Media. “But yeah, contract stuff, it’s happening, it’s starting, the talks and what not, but not anywhere close to what we were thinking.”
That quote matters because Mayfield has been in this position before. Cleveland once hesitated to commit top-of-the-market money to him, and the Browns eventually pivoted to Deshaun Watson. After a quick stop elsewhere, Mayfield rebuilt his career in Tampa Bay, gave the Buccaneers stability, and played well enough to become a Pro Bowl quarterback again, but the business side of the position can quickly become complicated when a team and its quarterback are not aligned on value.
That is where Sorsby becomes intriguing, even if he would not be an immediate threat to Mayfield’s job. CBS Sports framed Sorsby as a possible off-ramp if Tampa Bay does not get a long-term deal done with Mayfield. That does not mean the Buccaneers should panic or spend aggressively in the supplemental draft, but it does mean they should at least evaluate whether Sorsby’s talent is worth the risk and the future draft-pick cost.
Sorsby’s football profile is compelling. He passed for 2,800 yards, 27 touchdowns, and five interceptions last season while adding 580 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. In 2024, he completed 64% of his passes for 2,813 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, while rushing for 447 yards and 9 touchdowns. He brings size, athletic ability, toughness, and enough dual-threat upside to interest teams looking for a developmental quarterback with starter-level traits.
The concern is obvious. Sorsby was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after it discovered he placed more than 9,000 bets totaling at least $90,000 on college and professional sports over four years while enrolled at Indiana, Cincinnati, and Texas Tech. The gambling issue creates a serious evaluation beyond arm strength, mobility, and production. Any team considering him would have to be comfortable with his accountability, support system, treatment process, and long-term trust.
For Tampa Bay, the decision would come down to price and patience. The supplemental draft requires a team to bid a future draft pick by round, forfeiting that corresponding selection in the next regular draft if it lands the player. That makes Sorsby different from a standard undrafted flier. If the Buccaneers spend a pick, they would be making a real investment in a quarterback whose profile carries both upside and risk.
Still, the fit is not difficult to understand. Mayfield is the starter, and Bowles has supported him. But Bowles could also be facing pressure if Tampa Bay does not take another step, and Mayfield’s contract deadline gives the franchise a defined point of tension before camp opens. If talks remain stalled, the Buccaneers have to think beyond 2026. They have to think about leverage, succession, and the possibility that a quarterback who revived his career in Tampa Bay could eventually become too expensive or too uncertain to keep.
Sorsby would not solve that immediately. He would need development, structure, and time. But that is exactly why Tampa Bay could be an interesting landing spot. The Buccaneers would not have to throw him onto the field right away. They could let him sit behind Mayfield, learn the offense, and give the organization another option if the long-term quarterback picture changes.
The safer path is to let Mayfield play out the season and revisit the contract after 2026. The more proactive path is to explore a young quarterback who could provide the Buccaneers with a lower-cost developmental alternative.
Sorsby is not a clean prospect, and Tampa Bay should not treat him like one. But the combination of Mayfield’s contract uncertainty, Bowles’ pressure, and Sorsby’s physical upside makes the Buccaneers a logical team to study him closely. CBS Sports is right about the broader point: if Tampa Bay wants to prepare for every quarterback outcome, Sorsby is worth the homework.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Baker Mayfield contract deadline adds Brendan Sorsby intrigue