Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield raised eyebrows when he said that the two sides are “not anywhere close” to putting pen to paper on a contract extension.
Mayfield is in the final year of the three-year deal he signed in March 2024. On Monday morning, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated explained why Tampa Bay fans shouldn’t yet panic about the situation involving the club’s QB1.
Are Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield likely to get something done this summer?
“The most basic piece of the looming negotiation…is that the quarterback wants to be in Tampa, and the Bucs want Mayfield as their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future,” Breer wrote. “Most of the time, when those two conditions exist at that particular position, a deal gets worked out. That’s because having your quarterback in place and under contract is too important for those involved not to find a resolution.”
It was previously reported that the Buccaneers “intend” to get an extension done with Mayfield before the 2026 season gets underway. Meanwhile, Mayfield said on Friday that he would “love” to stay with Tampa Bay.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times suggested that the Buccaneers and Mayfield’s camp weren’t involved in active conversations, as the club hasn’t “made a counteroffer” since the team’s initial proposal. Breer added more information.
“The Buccaneers recently sent Mayfield’s camp an initial offer to kick off talks,” Breer said. “Mayfield’s group, led by agent Tom Mills, has yet to respond. Which is why this is still a ‘looming’ set of negotiations. Technically speaking, there has been no negotiation yet.”
What could it cost Buccaneers to keep Baker Mayfield?
Breer spoke with agents who said “that the baseline should be $50M per year over the first three years of the deal, and a new-money APY (which is how most deals are publicly measured) higher than that” for Mayfield’s extension. Breer also insisted that “it’s a pretty good bet” that the Buccaneers will eventually make Mayfield happy.
Mayfield insisted on Friday that he does not want contract negotiations to drag on through the start of training camp in late July. However, Breer is among those who think Mayfield would put pen to paper on a deal if the signal-caller received what he wants from the Buccaneers in August or early September.