As a looming contract deadline approaches, the veteran quarterback faces a high-stakes season where elite performance could secure a massive nine-figure extension and cement his NFL legacy.
The upcoming season is one of the most pivotal for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in recent memory.
Franchise pillars are embroiled in contract standoffs with the organization. Up-and-coming players are entering the last year of their rookie contracts. The head coach is beginning the season on the hot seat. Young players are trying to prove they are the team's future.
Depending on how this season plays out, the Bucs' future could go in many different directions.
While many players have a lot at stake this season, one player has an awful lot of money and the path the rest of his career will take on the line in 2026.
That would be quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was named the player with the most on the line for the Bucs in 2026 by the staff at The Athletic.
Can Become One Of NFL's Highest-Paid Players
As Dan Pompei, who chose the Bucs' player for The Athletic, notes, Mayfield can become one of the NFL's highest-paid players with a strong 2026 season.
"It was an eventful offseason for Mayfield, who became a father for the second time, toasted Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at their Madison Square Garden wedding and hit the Dougie at the American Century Championship. But it’s what he didn’t do that has Bucs fans worried: sign a contract extension. He’s in the final year of a three-year, $100 million deal, and while there have been negotiations, Mayfield has said they will stop once training camp begins. Mayfield, 31, is the 16th-highest-paid quarterback in the NFL with an AAV of $33 million. A dozen quarterbacks average $50 million or more, and it’s likely it will take that kind of deal to get him to commit. Mayfield didn’t have his best season in 2025, but he played with many injuries. If he can perform more like he did in 2024, he is likely to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid players."
But Will It Be With Tampa?
Mayfield's self-imposed deadline to reach an extension by the start of training is closing in. It is looking likely that a deal will not be reached in time. If the 31-year-old remains true to his word that he will not negotiate after camp begins, the situation will be a dark cloud hanging over the organization.
If Mayfield has to play out the season without a new contract, it may become a distraction not just for him, but for the entire team. Nobody will be able to stand in front of a microphone without being asked about it. Having a nine-figure deal hanging in the balance would weigh on anyone's mind, no matter how much Mayfield insists it will not affect him.
The Bucs believe their final offer to Mayfield will be the best he receives and that he will agree to it. Maybe they're right.
However, the QB is known to be prideful and, frankly, stubborn. Who knows how badly a prolonged standoff will fracture the relationship between the player and the organization. The longer this situation goes on without a resolution, the bigger the chance that Mayfield decides he would rather play elsewhere, even if it might be for less money.
What Will Bucs Do If Mayfield Leaves?
If the Bucs get a sense that Mayfield may leave, it would affect many other decisions the team has to make.
Would they still want to pay big money to defensive tackle Vita Vea if they are starting a transitional phase? It seems doubtful.
Will Todd Bowles be retained? He is already on thin ice heading into the season. The Bucs may feel like the team, and potentially a new quarterback, needs a new voice.
How the Mayfield situation plays out will have a ripple effect throughout the entire team.
Final Thoughts
Unless Mayfield agrees to an extension before training camp, his 2026 season will be an audition for all 32 NFL teams.
While the same can be said for the other Bucs who are in the last year of their contracts, none of them has the same kind of money on the line.
Nobody has as much impact on how his team performs as the quarterback. When you combine his importance to the team and the amount of money at stake, it is clear that nobody on the Bucs has as much on the line this season as Mayfield.
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