Buccaneers & Baker Mayfield Have Not Made Significant Progress On New Deal

Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Jenna Laine, the Buccaneers haven’t made significant progress with QB Baker Mayfield on an extension to keep the QB in Tampa Bay past 2026.

According to ESPN, a deal is “largely not expected” by the team’s first training camp practice on Wednesday, but there is still time to work through things and reach an agreement.

Mayfield is entering the final year of his three-year, $100 million contract and is looking for a deal that is more in line with what quarterbacks of a similar caliber are making, per ESPN. 

ESPN also reports Mayfield “isn’t afraid” of playing out the final year of his deal or even playing under the franchise tag in 2027. Though Mayfield is appreciative to the franchise for an opportunity to revive his career, ESPN notes he feels he’s helped them as well after QB Tom Brady retired.

The two sides have been nowhere close all offseason as Mayfield enters a contract year. The Buccaneers seem to think their value for Mayfield will prove to be higher than any other team’s. 

Mayfield said in June he and his agent would stop negotiations once training camp started so he can focus on football.

Mayfield, 31, was drafted by the Browns with the No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2018. He played out the fourth year of a four-year, $32.68 million rookie deal that included a $21.85 million signing bonus. 

The Browns exercised Mayfield’s fifth-year option, which would have cost Cleveland $18.858 million fully guaranteed in 2022. However, Cleveland traded Mayfield to the Panthers in exchange for a conditional 2024 fourth-round draft pick. 

Cleveland agreed to cover $10.5 million of Mayfield’s salary, with the Panthers paying out the rest. However, Carolina cut Mayfield during the season, and he was claimed off waivers by the Rams, finishing out his contract in Los Angeles.

Mayfield signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay worth up to $8.5 million for the 2023 season before signing a three-year, $100 million contract with the Buccaneers in 2024.

Tampa Bay added $30 million in guarantees to Mayfield’s contract for the 2026 season. 

In 2025, Mayfield appeared in all 17 games for the Buccaneers and completed 63.2 percent of his pass attempts for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, along with 55 carries for 382 yards rushing and another touchdown.

We’ll have more on Mayfield as the news is available.