A new rumor about where the 2024 NFL salary will top off could be massive news for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their hopes of bringing back Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans next season.
For some NFL analysts, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a surprise this past season. Yes, they won the NFC South in 2022, however, that was with icon quarterback Tom Brady leading the offense. In 2023 former first-round pick Baker Mayfield was under center in what seemed like his last chance to be a starter in the league.
However, the Bucs’ offense surprised in 2023-24 — despite lacking a reliable run game — due to the dynamic combo Mayfield and team great Mike Evans formed in the passing game. However, there is no guarantee the team will have that combo back in 2024-25 with both being free agents starting in March and looking to be rewarded for big seasons last year.
Also Read: 2024 NFL salary cap tracker – Where all 32 teams stand heading into offseason
Tampa Bay Buccaneers news: 2024 NFL salary cap could be close to $250 million
Due to the money the franchise already has locked up in some other players, there was not a ton of hope the organization could re-sign both and the likely result would be bringing back Mayfield. However, there is now reason to hope both can return next season on fair contracts.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the belief around the NFL is that next season’s salary cap will land at around $243 million. However, in a follow-up report, he claimed “Another source, with a proven record of accuracy in these matters, says it will be closer to $250 million than to $243 million.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have around $32 million in cap space heading into the offseason, according to OverTheCap. This is a solid amount, but that extra seven to eight million above what was expected to be the salary cap in 2024 could play a huge factor in improving their chances of re-signing Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans this spring.
Also Read: 2024 NFL power rankings – Evaluating all 32 teams, offseason outlook for every club