Rookies will be reporting to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' training camp on Monday, with veterans following a day later.

However, the start of camp is much more than just everyone's first chance to see the team practice with the pads on and be able to hit each other.

It's also quarterback Baker Mayfield's self-imposed deadline to reach a deal on a contract extension with the Bucs. If no agreement is reached, Mayfield insists he will table negotiations until after the season.

As we head into the 11th hour, it seems unlikely a deal will be finished before Mayfield reports to camp. The situation, if unresolved, threatens to become a distraction for both the QB and the team during the season. If the two sides don't find some middle ground quickly, Mayfield's future in Tampa will be a hot topic throughout the coming months.

Not so fast, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter believes.

As written by Pewter Report, Schefter appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and offered bold predictions about the negotiations between Mayfield and the Bucs, both on when the deal may be finalized and how much Mayfield will receive.

Believes Deal Will Get Done During Camp, Not Before

Even though Mayfield has set a deadline, Schefter believes the deal will get done during camp, not before. He points to the Bucs' history of wrapping up contract extensions while training camp is in full swing and thinks that is what will happen in this situation.

“Before camp starts may be a bit ambitious right now. But the Buccaneers have been a team that typically has gotten deals done once camp is underway, a little bit into it. Baker Mayfield said that he wants the deal done by the time training camp starts, or he’s essentially tabling negotiations as he enters the last year of his contract,” Schefter notes.

“But I guess what I would say to that is, like I said, Tampa’s history has been to do deals during camp, not at the start of camp. I think it’s going to be easy for the Buccaneers and Baker to say at that point in time we’ve started talking, we’re gonna continue talking, and we’re going to continue to try to get this done. I think that they figure out a way to get it done because both sides want to make it happen. It shouldn’t be a difficult deal to do."

If the sides are close to an agreement, I agree with Schefter that they will continue to hammer out the details until it is finished. Neither Mayfield nor the Bucs would prefer to go into the season with so much money hanging in the balance.

It is Schefter's other prediction that I'm not so sure of.

Thinks Mayfield Will Sign For $50 Million/Year

While most have agreed that $50 million/year would be the low-water mark that Mayfield might accept, Schefter believes the 31-year-old will sign for "about" that figure.

“[I] think about $50 million a year. That’s my projection for where a potential Baker Mayfield deal could come in,” Schefter said. “Maybe not as much as he wants, maybe more than the Bucs would be wanting to pay. But there’s a compromise in there for both sides that I think would like to work out a deal.”

I'm skeptical.

In the NFL, the highest-paid players are often not the best players at their position, but ones fortunate enough to be the most recent to sign a deal.

There are already 12 quarterbacks making at least $50 million/deal. While Mayfield falls outside the top 10 QBs in most rankings, it may be hard to convince him to accept a deal for less than top-10 money.

That is just the nature of doing business in the NFL. A franchise quarterback, which Mayfield has proven to be, doesn't come cheap, and the former top overall pick may not settle for being the 13th highest-paid one in the league. Especially not after playing three seasons (including 2026) on a three-year, $100 million contract, a tremendous bargain for a QB of Mayfield's quality.

Mayfield has shown a willingness to bet on himself previously in his career, and he may feel that he could get more money elsewhere if Tampa allows him to get to free agency in 2027, despite the Bucs' belief otherwise.

At this stage of his career, money probably isn't everything for Mayfield, but it certainly will play a major role in these negotiations.

Final Thoughts

Both Mayfield and the Bucs have their futures on the line this season.

Schefter believes the extension shouldn't be difficult to finish. However, if that were true, why has it taken this long?

Hopefully, camp begins with both sides reporting that significant progress has been made in the negotiations. If that is the case, expect Mayfield to ignore his own deadline and get the deal across the finish line.

If not, Mayfield's murky future in Tampa could become a dark cloud hanging over the team and may derail a pivotal season for both Mayfield and the Bucs.

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