Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield blasts front office over ‘disappointing’ contract offer

Baker Mayfield feels ‘disrespected’ by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after failing to secure a long-term contract extension with the team before training camp.

Now the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback is prepared to play out the final season of his three-year, $100 million contract – a deal that could seem like a bargain if Mayfield plays well in 2026.

‘And if you’ve waited this long to take care of your franchise quarterback, that’s too bad, because it’s only going to get worse from here,’ Mayfield told reporters on Thursday. ‘I’m going to have a really good year.’

Mayfield told reporters he set a deadline to hammer out an extension with the team, and now that it’s passed, he’s done discussing the issue with both the front office and the media.

The 31-year-old Heisman Trophy winner and former first-overall draft pick famously resurrected his career in Tampa after flaming out with the Cleveland Browns and serving as Matthew Stafford’s backup with the Los Angeles Rams. Not only did he earn Pro Bowl honors in 2023 and 2024, but he was briefly an MVP candidate last season before injuries and inconsistency put an end to that talk.

‘I’m at the point of my career and understanding what I brought to this franchise — one, I’m very, very grateful for the chance they gave me, do not get me wrong on that,’ he said. ‘But I also really know what I’ve brought to this franchise leadership-wise and even play-wise. 

‘It’s been some of the best years of my career. And I think it’s only going to trend upwards. Just feeling comfortable in feeling that.

‘So, disappointing in that regard to not have…to feel disrespected a little bit. And that’s really the disappointing part, to feel undervalued after thinking you’ve earned it.’

Mayfield stressed that he does not feel sorry for himself: ‘This is not a “poor me” thing.’

But he also thinks he’s a ‘franchise quarterback,’ which is why he’s unwilling to take the offers he’s seen from the team.

‘Money should never be the motivation in football,’ he said. ‘It’s how do I help this team win? It’s never going to be the motivation for me. When it comes to having a chip on your shoulder and all that, for me it just puts me in the mindset of betting on myself.

‘That’s something I’m pretty familiar with, and it’s a good place to be. As a highly competitive guy, sometimes you have to put yourself backed into a corner and fight your way out. I have a lot of guys and a lot of staff around me that are with me, so I’m not alone in it. We’re fighting for the same goal, and that’s to be playing in February.’

The Bucs went 8-9 last season and open the 2026 campaign in Cincinnati on September 13.