Would former Sooners QB Baker Mayfield be wise to wait on second contract?
NFL revenues, like that of college football, continue to rise. The league is printing money every year with grander television contracts and advertising deals, and the player at the top of their respective positions are getting rewarded with huge inflation. Quarterbacks, in particular, have always dominated the salary cap of the NFL. Still, as new television deals come and NFL revenues increase, the salary cap continues to rise by roughly $10 million each year, giving quarterbacks an even bigger slice of the pay. Former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield is among the next crop of quarterbacks to cash in. And it appears hes taking a similar approach to his next contract that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took: patience. Dak Prescott saw the inevitable increase in revenue that the NFL was going to enjoy. He didnt rush his negotiations even after the Dallas Cowboys placed the one-year franchise tag on him in 2020. Prescott still signed the second-richest quarterback contract on a per-year basis in NFL history, even after a season-ending injury. Second only to Patrick Mahomes. And thats where Baker Mayfields headed. Mike Jones of USA Today looked at the coming quarterback market (subscription required) and believes Mayfield waiting to sign his next deal could prove financially beneficial. Waiting a year or two also could better position Mayfield to command a richer contract because Cleveland could have greater flexibility under the salary cap at that time. The cap is set at $182.5 million for the 2021 season, but increases to $208.2 million next year. And with revenue expected to skyrocket thanks to the return of fans in stadiums and the new broadcast deals the NFL secured over the offseason, league insiders believe the cap could approach $240 million or $250 million by the time Mayfields option year wraps up.  Jones  Mayfield may not be considered a top-five quarterback in the NFL at this point in his career, but after his best year yet in 2020, hes moving toward signing a top-five deal in the NFL. And you dont have to be a consensus top-five quarterback in the NFL to get a top-of-the-market deal. Mayfield still has two years remaining on his contract that runs through the 2022 season after the Cleveland Browns picked up his fifth-year rookie option. The two sides can still negotiate an extension at any point in time, but it would behoove Mayfield to wait on the process. Every time a franchise quarterback gets a new contract, the next guy in line will generally top that. Each contract sets the floor for the next franchise quarterback, and Baker Mayfields patience will pay off. The other quarterbacks from his draft class, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, will be set for new contracts soon as well. Depending on the order in which those contracts are signed will determine Mayfields next contract. If he waits on Allen and Jackson, hell likely surpass those players as they attempt to reset the market in the next couple of years.