Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is entering the final year of his contract.
He has re-established himself as a starting quarterback, having played every game for the Buccaneers over the last three years, leading the team to a pair of division titles.
But what of the future?
Mayfield told reporters on Friday that negotiations with the Buccaneers are ongoing. But they aren’t necessarily going to his liking.
“First and foremost, regardless, we’ve built roots here in Tampa. We love the community, we love being here. They’ve embraced us. We enjoy being here and, obviously, are going to raise kids here,” Mayfield said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “But the contract stuff, it’s happening, it’s starting — talks and whatnot. But, not anywhere close to what we were thinking. So, would love to be here long-term, and as of right now, that’s not exactly the case. But I’m under contract for 2026. The guys in that locker room, the staff know that I’m still going to be me — I’m still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. To me, that’s the priority. Everything else will take care of itself.
“Obviously, yes, I would love to have a long-term deal done. But, they know my deadline — as soon as training camp starts, we’re not doing [anymore] contract stuff. It’s all ball. So, it’s not up to me when that gets done by. So, hopefully before that. If not, we’re still going to have a good year.”
Mayfield’s last deal was for three years and $100 million, putting him at an average annual value of $33.3 million. He’s currently set to count $39.975 million against the cap in 2026.
With offseason programs coming to an end, it stands to reason that the Buccaneers will try to work out a new deal with Mayfield and his representation over the coming weeks — particularly if Mayfield has a hard deadline of the start of training camp.
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