Until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield put pen to paper on a long-term contract extension, questions over the quarterback's future will continue to hang over the team.

With Mayfield entering the final season of the three-year, $100 million deal he signed in 2024, it was once a foregone conclusion that both sides would reach an agreement that keeps the franchise QB in Tampa well into the future.

Unfortunately, that never happened. After Mayfield's self-imposed deadline to sign a new contract by the start of training camp came and went, the standoff appeared to become increasingly contentious.

Mayfield ripped the team and felt "disrespected" and "undervalued." The organization was not happy to hear its QB air his grievances publicly. It seemed like everyone was taking either Mayfield's or the team's side. 

The thought of Mayfield leaving the Bucs after reviving his career in Tampa, once thought to be the longest of longshots, suddenly became a real possibility.

However, once the team got into the thick of training camp, the hostilities seemed to subside, and Mayfield has made good on his vow not to let his contract situation affect his play. He is excited about the upcoming season, predicting the Bucs will "shock a lot of people" with their success.

It wouldn't be so shocking for Tampa to have a great season, as Mayfield has always played his best when he feels like he has something to prove.

According to ESPN's Jenna Laine, Bucs general manager Jason Licht is "very optimistic" that Mayfield will be Tampa's QB "beyond the 2026 season."

Licht appeared on the local broadcast of Tampa's preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His words may have been the highlight of the night for the Bucs, who had a miserable offensive showing in their 19-0 loss. When speaking about whether or not Mayfield will be in Tampa "beyond the 2026 season," Licht did his best to project positivity.

"I'm very optimistic about it," Licht said during the WFLA broadcast of the Bucs' third preseason game at the Jacksonville Jaguars. "He wants to play. He wants to prove to us that he is the franchise quarterback that we said that he was. So, we'll just have to see how it plays out. I'll never close the door on anything in the short term, but right now, he's focused on football."

Licht's comments don't sound as optimistic as he claims to be. Saying "I'll never close the door on anything" isn't what you say about something you feel is likely to happen. 

Of course, the Bucs could use the franchise tag on Mayfield if they choose to, which would keep him in Tampa for the 2027 season.

Words matter. Saying "beyond 2026," as Laine phrased it, is very different than saying "long-term." 

Is Licht planning to use the tag on Mayfield next year and then part ways, or does he really believe the two sides will eventually sign a long-term extension?

The contract dispute between Mayfield and the Bucs has been festering for months. The longer it goes unresolved, the greater the chance that the two sides are heading toward a split.

Both Mayfield and the Bucs have a lot on the line this season. If the QB plays well, as expected, he will likely earn significantly more money than the team was offering. If he doesn't, and the Bucs struggle through another season and miss the playoffs, they will likely make significant changes, almost certainly including a new head coach and potentially a new quarterback.

The team and Mayfield are both betting on him to rise to the occasion once again with a massive chip on his shoulder.