Buccaneers veterans reported to training camp on Tuesday, quarterback Baker Mayfield‘s self-imposed deadline for contract extension negotiations. The edges didn’t reach an agreement, making it official that Mayfield will play the season and not using a latest deal, Jeremy Fowler and Jenna Laine of ESPN report.
Mayfield is entering the ultimate season of the three-year, $100MM pact he signed with the Buccaneers in 2024. The agreement made him the NFL’s Fifteenth-highest paid QB by guarantees and sixteenth in annual value on the time. Mayfield remains to be sixteenth at his position in AAV ($33.3MM), leaving him well below the highest of the market. There at the moment are 12 passers earning at the very least $50MM per season. Mayfield reportedly aimed that prime in extension talks, but he’ll stay far south of that level in 2026.
Mayfield and the Buccaneers made “no real progress” in discussions, in keeping with Fowler and Laine. He’s on course to turn out to be one in every of the league’s highest-profile free agents in 2027, but he and the team will revisit talks after the season, per Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Within the event they don’t close the gap then, the Buccaneers would have the choice of keeping Mayfield off the open market via the franchise tag. Playing under the tag wouldn’t faze Mayfield, which may very well be excellent news for Tampa Bay whether it is willing to go that route. Doing so could cost the Buccaneers around $50MM.
Mayfield, a Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 1 pick in 2018, began his profession with an up-and-down four-year run in Cleveland. The Browns traded him in 2022 to the Panthers, with whom he struggled over seven games and 6 starts. The Panthers waived Mayfield through the season, and he finished the 12 months with the Rams after they claimed him. Together with his stock way down, he reached the open marketplace for the primary time in 2023. Mayfield settled for a one-year, $4MM cope with the Buccaneers, who needed a alternative for the retired Tom Brady.
The Buccaneers’ first investment in Mayfield proved to be a steal for general manager Jason Licht & Co. After Mayfield beat out Kyle Trask for the starting job, the Oklahoma product posted profession highs in completion percentage (64.3), yards (4,044) and touchdowns (28, against 10 interceptions) over 17 starts. He earned Pro Bowl honors for the primary time and helped the Buccaneers to a 9-8 record and an NFC South title. They handled the Eagles within the wild-card round, 32-9, before dropping a 31-23 decision to Detroit within the divisional round.
Mayfield’s first-year performance in Tampa Bay earned him his current contract, and he has continued to supply above-average production. Mayfield threw 16 picks in 12 months 1 of the pact, but he established latest profession bests in completion rate (71.4), yards (4,500), TDs (41) and passer rating (106.8) en route to a different Pro Bowl bid. The Buccaneers went 10-7 and won one other division title, but they fell to the Commanders, 23-20, in a house wild-card round loss.
The Bucs were the favorites to win the division again last 12 months, especially after a 6-2 start, however the wheels got here off within the second half. Coping with a rash of injuries, Tampa Bay limped to a 2-7 finish and ended the 12 months 8-9. The Buccaneers’ sub-.500 record still ranked first within the division, but they lost the tiebreaker to the Panthers. While Mayfield put together one more 17-start season, he played through multiple injuries. Most of his numbers dropped off because of this, as he accomplished 63.2% of passes for 3,693 yards, 26 TDs, 11 picks and a 90.6 rating.
Together with Mayfield, the Buccaneers’ injury-laden offense declined as an entire in 2025. The unit ranked nineteenth in yards and twentieth in points under coordinator Josh Grizzard, whom head coach Todd Bowles fired after the season and replaced with Zac Robinson. Mayfield, who was at his best under Liam Coen in 2024, is now working together with his fourth O-coordinator in as a few years in Tampa Bay. If Mayfield clicks with Robinson the identical way he did with Coen, it might put him within the catbird seat in negotiations next 12 months.