The 2026 NFL regular season hasn't even started yet, but what happens after it's over will determine the long-term future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs are going to have a lot of difficult decisions to make in 2027, both financial and personnel, and how the team performs this season will determine most of them.

Tampa has several core players entering 2026 in the last year of their contracts. Who will the Bucs retain? Who will they allow to walk? And how much money will they have to commit to the players they want to keep?

Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com just released his way-too-early list of the top-25 potential free agents for 2027. Of course, several of these players will not make it to free agency. Some will be re-signed by their teams between now and the end of the season. Others will be slapped with the franchise tag, ensuring that they remain with their current team for the 2027 season.

However, as of right now, a pair of Buccaneers are ranked in the top-15 of Rosenthal's list. For one of them, it is shocking that he has gotten this far without being given a new contract. The other has developed into one of defense's most important players. Both players' next contract will see them receiving a huge raise.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield is ranked as Rosenthal's sixth-best free agency while outside linebacker YaYa Diaby is 15th. Both should be crucial pieces of the team's future and  possibly the Bucs' top two offseason priorities.

Franchise quarterbacks don't normally get to the last season of their contracts before signing an extension. But that is where we are with Mayfield.

After Mayfield and the team couldn't reach an agreement during negotiations, which became very publicly contentious, Tampa's long-term outlook at the game's most important position has become murky.

In his three seasons as the Bucs' QB, the former top overall pick has made the Pro Bowl twice while leading the team to a pair of division titles and one playoff victory. His three-year, $100 million contract signed in 2024 has turned him into one of the best bargains in the NFL. Mayfield is seeking at least $50 million/year, which the team has offered, and 4-5 years, which the team has balked at. 

Mayfield has ended contract talks until after the season, meaning he will be playing this season without any future security. Unless something unexpected happens, Mayfield is scheduled to hit free agency, where he would have several teams interested in his services. 

Here is what Rosenthal has to say about him:

"Mayfield has stabilized his career in Tampa despite his streakiness. He's going to be a starter next year and is likely to remain with the Bucs if he prospers in 2026."

Rosenthal seems confident that Mayfield and the Bucs will eventually come to terms. However, as the quarterback has already warned, his price is only going to go up the longer he remains unsigned.

Diaby is one of several members of Tampa's 2023 draft class set to be free agents next year. His rookie contract was for four years with an AAV of around $1.366 million per year. Diaby has blossomed into one of Tampa's best defenders. In 2025, he led the team with seven sacks and looks primed for a career year. If he can hit double-digit sacks this season, Diaby will be looking for a new deal in the range of at least $20 million/year, or more. 

Nick Herbig of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who has similar production to Diaby and was also drafted in 2023, received a four-year, $100 million extension earlier this offseason. Diaby could possibly earn just as much on the open market.

Rosenthal believes Diaby's strength makes him one of the best "pocket pushers" in the league.

"Diaby is one of the best pocket pushers in the NFL. He's also tough to move off his spot in the running game because he's so strong."

Not only is Diaby improving as a pass rusher, but he is also a plus defender against the run. Players like Diaby don't come cheap. Will Tampa be willing to pay him what is necessary to keep him in town?

Re-signing Mayfield and Diaby will require huge financial commitments from the Bucs organization. If the team makes it back to the postseason this season, keeping both will be necessary to ensure Tampa remains a contender. If the Bucs fall short of expectations again, they may decide to move on from either Mayfield, Diaby, or both, and start rebuilding with cheaper options.

Guard Cody Mauch, also drafted in 2023, is another potential free agents in line for a massive raise next year. The Bucs have to decide on what their long-term direction will look like after this season before paying big money to all three.

What happens with Mayfield will likely be a huge factor in what happens with Diaby and Mauch. Not only Mayfield's future, but also the team's future, is on the line this season.