The Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield are on a contractual collision course. For now, Tampa Bay G.M. Jason Licht is treading lightly.
“We’ve had some discussions and we’ll continue to have some internal discussions and see, and try to bring this to closure one way or another,” Licht said regarding Mayfield’s contract in an interview with JP Peterson of FanStreamSports.com (via JoeBucsFan.com). “But no one wants to see Baker go anywhere, and no one’s worried about how Baker’s mindset is going to be. I’ve had conversations with him about that. He’s all about wanting to win. So he’s in a good place.”
The phrase “closure one way or another” seems fairly loaded. It means they’ll either get a deal done before Mayfield’s stated deadline of the launch of training camp, or they won’t. If they don’t, the clock will start ticking on Mayfield’s potential free agency.
“I respect Baker,” Licht said. “He’s free to say whatever he wants to say. And that’s the way he’s wired and I have nothing but love for Baker. I’ll keep all that stuff internal; I never use the media for [talking about negotiations].”
Licht didn’t rule out using the franchise tag to keep Mayfield in place for 2027. The last time his contract expired, after the 2023 season, the Buccaneers didn’t apply it. Mayfield re-signed with the Bucs.
The three-year, $100 million deal doesn’t properly reflect his current value, given the market. Whether the Bucs will meet his expectations remains to be seen.
For now, Mayfield has said the two sides are “not anywhere close.” If the gap isn’t bridged fairly soon, the Bucs may need to start making plans at the quarterback position in 2027 — and other teams should start thinking about whether they’ll pursue Mayfield.
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