Update: Baker Mayfield Intends To Play Out 2026 Season On Current Contract

Per Greg Auman and Rick Stroud, Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield intends to play out the 2026 season on his current contract. 

The two sides had been negotiating a new deal but hadn’t made a lot of progress before Mayfield’s self-imposed deadline of the start of training camp. 

With the team reporting and set to begin preparations for the season today, it seems like Mayfield has officially cut off talks.

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. That number probably starts at $50 million a year, likely higher. 

The Buccaneers seem to think their value for Mayfield will prove to be higher than any other team’s in the end and have approached talks with that mindset. 

Tampa Bay will have the franchise tag available to retain Mayfield for the 2027 season. 

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.