Report: Intel on Potential Issue in Baker Mayfield Contract Talks with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers organization have both expressed a desire this offseason to work out a long-term contract extension. However, reporting this spring has indicated a deal is not close, and we might now know one reason why.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Mayfield’s health is “a main factor” for the Buccaneers’ front office seemingly making contract proposals that the quarterack’s representation found to be well below what they expected.
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- Baker Mayfield contract (Spotrac): $39.975 million cap hit in 202, NFL free agent in 2027 with $11.975 million void cap hit in 2027-28
Back in 2023, Mayfield signed a one-year contract with the Buccaneers worth $4 million. He earned his first career Pro Bowl selection, posting a 94.6 passer rating with 4,044 passing yards, a 64.3 percent completion rate, and he averaged 7.1 yards per attempt with a 28-10 TD-INT ratio.
He turned that success on a one-year, prove-it deal into a three-year, $100 million contract. Now, coming off a three-year stretch with Tampa Bay in which he posted a 27-24 record with 95 passing touchdowns, 12,237 passing yards and a 97.4 passer rating–he’s seeking a new deal.
- Baker Mayfield stats (2025): 3,693 passing yards, 26-11 TD-INT, 6.8 yards per attempt, 90.6 passer rating, 63.2% completion rate
From Mayfield’s perspective, a raise is well-earned and salaries for quarterbacks have skyrocketed. Entering 2026, there are 12 signal-callers with an average annual salary of $50-plus million per season, with two others making at least $44 million per year.
While the veteran quarterback has started every game for the Buccaneers over the past three seasons, he did play through a significant shoulder injury in 2025. Tampa Bay also saw his production dip in the second half of the season, a decline highlighted by a 14-10 TD-INT ratio, a 61.5 percent completion rate, and an 80.6 passer rating during the team’s final 11 regular-season games.
The expectation remains that the two sides will get a deal done. However, Mayfield previously told reporters that he will not negotiate a deal with the Buccaneers once training camp begins in the middle of July. It gives Tampa Bay just a few weeks to figure something out before he plays out the final year of the contract. If a deal cannot be reached, the franchise tag would be in play next offseason.
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