Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been in the news lately, all because the two sides can’t agree on contract value. Both sides agree that the former No. 1 overall pick is a franchise quarterback. Yet, it’s been much more difficult to place an exact number on how much the Bucs think Mayfield is worth.
Entering the final year of his contract in Tampa Bay, what’s the latest on Mayfield’s relationship with the Buccaneers?
Baker Mayfield Has Stopped Negotiating New Contract
Mayfield said all along this offseason that once the Buccaneers kicked off their training camp this summer, he and his agency would break off contract extension negotiations. That’s where the situation stands right now.
The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback reportedly feels he’s worth a long-term contract in the $50 million range. For whatever reason, perhaps because Mayfield is coming off a bit of a down year, the Buccaneers have been unwilling to meet the 31-year-old’s asking price.
At this point, both sides are dug in. Mayfield appears willing to bet on himself, just as he’s done all throughout his career. If he plays well, the Bucs QB knows he can land a contract that pays him much more than the $27 million in cash he’s set to receive in 2026. He may even have a shot at doubling it.
Meanwhile, from the Bucs’ perspective, they’re essentially calling Mayfield’s bluff. They don’t believe the Austin, Texas native is willing to uproot his family and play for a different franchise again. After all, he’s already experienced the most success of his NFL career in Tampa Bay, where they have one of the NFL’s best young receivers, Emeka Egbuka.
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After thriving in the past three seasons playing in Tampa Bay’s offense, would Mayfield really risk taking his talent elsewhere, knowing how quickly other organizations were to wipe their hands clean of the former first-round pick?
It’s also not hard to understand why the Buccaneers may have concerns about paying Mayfield like a top-five QB. Last year, he ranked just 22nd at his position on PFN’s QB Impact Metric with an impact score of 74.4. He’ll have to play much better in 2026 to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid QBs in 2027.
Worst-case scenario for Tampa Bay: Mayfield plays his heart out and helps the Buccaneers return to the playoffs. If so, the Buccaneers can simply place the franchise tag on Mayfield and get him for one more season at the market rate, but it won’t be the over $50 million salary he reportedly covets. Still, that would lock in their franchise QB for at least one more season, while Mayfield still lands a nice raise.
Though both sides would likely still prefer to work out an agreement once the offseason arrives. The situation is tough because Mayfield is looking for a long-term deal, while the Buccaneers tried to convince the quarterback to sign a short-term deal like Daniel Jones did in Indianapolis.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.