Baker Mayfield drops contract bombshell and sets deadline for Tampa Bay Buccaneers to hand him a new deal
Baker Mayfield sensationally revealed on Friday that he is ‘not anywhere close’ with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their ongoing talks over a new contract.
Mayfield has established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Tampa Bay after a rocky period with the Cleveland Browns and spells with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.
He has led the Bucs into the playoffs in two of his three seasons there, while being selected to the Pro Bowl in both 2023 and 2024. He has not missed a single game in three seasons, either.
But Mayfield is out of contract at the end of next season after signing a three-year deal worth $100 million back in 2024. And he revealed on Friday to reporters that negotiations are not going well.
He said: ‘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.
‘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.
Baker Mayfield sensationally revealed on Friday that he is ‘not anywhere close’ with the Bucs
Mayfield and his wife, Emily, share two children together: daughter Kova and son Maverick
‘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,’ Mayfield continued.
‘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.’
Back in March, Bucs general manager Jason Licht said he’s had conversations with Mayfield’s representatives and anticipates getting an extension done.
‘Baker is still our quarterback. He’s one of the toughest guys on the team. He’s a great leader,’ Licht said. ‘Everything kind of revolves around the quarterback spot. At some point, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. There’s no timetable on that.’
Mayfield has thrived with the Buccaneers since replacing Tom Brady. Once discarded by three teams, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick led Tampa Bay to a division title and a playoff win in 2023.
He followed that up with his best season in 2024, completing 71.4 per cent of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions for a 106.8 passer rating.
Mayfield was an early front-runner for AP NFL MVP last year when the Bucs opened 6-2, but the injury-riddled team unraveled and failed to win its fifth straight NFC South title.
Mayfield, playing through injuries, saw his production drop. He threw for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, 11 picks and had a 90.6 passer rating.
