As Baker Mayfield demands elite-tier pay, Todd Bowles confirms his unwavering support while front office hesitation and a looming training camp deadline threaten to stall a deal.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles made his stance incredibly clear on whether quarterback Baker Mayfield should get a contract extension. Bowles believes that there is “absolutely no question” about it.
Even the front office has made its choice known to keep Baker around, but until they put pen to paper, those stances are not stopping all the trade rumors overtaking the market.
Speeding up the process is not something in Bowles's hands.
"Baker's all business. He's all about business," the Bucs head coach said. "The contract stuff takes care of itself. That's the business side of it that you don't see, that everybody has to deal with, and I'm sure he'll take care of it, but it doesn't affect his play."
Even Mayfield added that it’s not up to him how long the extension takes.
Baker Mayfield contract extension
He is entering the final year of the 3-year, $100 million deal he signed back in 2024. He’s currently scheduled to make roughly $33 million, which makes him the lowest-paid established veteran quarterback in the league.
Mayfield knows it, and his camp has drawn a hard line in the sand, setting a deadline for the start of training camp to get a new deal done, or he shuts down negotiations completely for the season.
The rumor around the league is that Mayfield wants to jump into that elite $50 million-per-year bracket.
Bowles made it sound like keeping Mayfield around is a no-brainer.
"Baker's a true pro," Bowles said. "I don't think there's any disappointment whatsoever. I mean, he loves it here. We love him here. The contract stuff takes care of itself, whether it's the quarterback or any other position that comes up -- those things get worked out over time. You just concentrate on what we got to concentrate on, on the field, and he's been great right there."
However, the matter of fact is that GM Jason Licht is hesitant to throw $50 million a year at Mayfield because of the inconsistency.
Mayfield is coming off a bit of a down 2025 season, where his completion percentage and touchdown numbers dipped compared to his explosive 2024 campaign.
Plus, Mayfield’s already 31 years old, another factor for the front office to seriously consider.
Licht has a reputation for pulling off negotiations like these, and looking at the deadline Mayfield’s camp has set, it seems that the news about Mayfield's future will be out sooner than later.
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