There could be an overlooked story brewing at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with quarterback Baker Mayfield’s contract, and Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik could be involved. The Bucs, as a franchise, are in a good spot at the moment and would like to keep the momentum going. However, Mayfield’s contract could possibly stifle their trajectory.
Here’s where Klubnik comes in.
How Cade Klubnik Could Bridge a New Era for the Buccaneers
Mayfield is entering the final year of his three-year, $100 million deal with Tampa. He’s proven to be a reliable shot-caller, and the franchise would likely prefer to extend his stay. However, with a salary cap to manage, a deal falling through is a very strong possibility.
As Mayfield will be 31 by the time the season starts, the front office might not give him the kind of money he wants. Moreover, his 27-24 record as a starter with the Bucs doesn’t make a strong argument for a raise, either.
Therefore, if the veteran ends up on the open market in 2027, Tampa would want to be prepared.
Enter Klubnik.
The Clemson quarterback ran Dabo Swinney’s offense to strong success for the last three years, averaging more than 200 passing yards per game. Helping the Tigers to three consecutive winning campaigns, the senior has proven his readiness for the pros.
As such, PFSN’s T.J. Randall has the Buccaneers selecting him 195th overall in the sixth round this year. The move would reinforce a quarterback room that also includes recent signee Jake Browning, who helped fill in for Joe Burrow for the Cincinnati Bengals last season.
Browning’s contract, though, is only a one-year deal, and he’s by no means regarded as a long-term starter.
“Cade Klubnik is a former five-star recruit and historic high school producer, who grew to become one of the more prolific passers in college football,” PFSN wrote. “His senior season was a notable regression, however, that saw him put up inconsistent film as a processor and field general down-over-down.
“At 6’2″, 210 pounds, he’s not quite the big-armed prototypical passer you’d expect in contention for early-round capital, but he’s nonetheless a very compelling talent.”
Klubnik, on the other hand, has the potential to develop into a long-term starter. Playing behind Mayfield for 2026 should also serve as a valuable stepping stone to achieving that goal. Mayfield’s eight years in the league have seen him do everything from keeping poor teams afloat to mastering new systems to making playoff runs, insights that young Klubnik will benefit from.
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It should be noted, however, that Tampa could also kick the quarterback can down the road for another year. With the 2027 quarterback class being hyped up as one of the strongest in recent memory, the team could see out Mayfield’s final year (with Browning as QB2) and then aim for any one of Arch Manning, Dante Moore, or Julian Sayin.
Klubnik is in an interesting spot heading into the draft, and it remains to be seen how his NFL career will kick off.
