Negotiations persist as Tampa Bay seeks a fair extension for their star quarterback, aiming to balance long-term security with salary cap flexibility before the franchise tag looms.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't want 2026 to be Baker Mayfield's last season as their starting quarterback, but as of now, that's a possibility.
Mayfield told reporters at OTAs Friday that he and the Bucs are not yet close to reaching a contract extension, and with this being the last year of Mayfield's three-year, $100 million deal, time is running out.
But per at least one report, it isn't as if the Buccaneers haven't tried to extend their quarterback.
JoeBucsFan reported Friday that, per private conversations, "it's very safe to say that the Bucs did not deliver Mayfield an insulting offer.
"They love the guy and want him," the article read, "but they’re also interested in a deal that’s in the best interests of both sides, as they should be."
The alternative to extending Mayfield long-term would be to franchise tag him for the 2027 season.
This is a last resort for both sides, since the Bucs would have to pay Mayfield, well, a lot of money, and Mayfield wouldn't have long-term security.
"Mayfield could cry about being tagged, if it came to that," JoeBucsFan wrote, "But if he did, there would be a long line of Bucs fans turning on Mayfield for moaning about having to play for $50 freaking million."
Mayfield hasn't been a perfect QB for Tampa. Last season, he was great in the first half of the year, throwing 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the team's first nine games, but wasn't so great in the second half of the year, throwing 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
In his defense, to say Mayfield was playing hurt would be an understatement.
As with most teams, the Bucs went as their QB went, starting the year 6-2 but ending 8-9 and failing to capture the NFC South for the first time since 2020.
Although Mayfield is flawed, it's hard to argue that, all things considered, he hasn't been a bargain for Tampa.
He's only played three seasons for the Bucs, but already has the third-most passing touchdowns in team history (94), the second-highest completion percentage (66.3) and is seventh all-time in passing yards for the team.
If all goes according to plan in 2026, Mayfield will shatter Jameis Winston's team record for passing touchdowns (he needs 27 to do that) and will surpass Vinnie Testaverde to move into second on the team's all-time passing list (he needs more than 2,500 to do that, but still is 7,000 away from Winston's team mark).
Mayfield has done all of this while being in the mid-tier when it comes to QB compensation.
15 QBs are set to make more than Mayfield in 2026, and although several of them are understandable (Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford), others (Daniel Jones, DeShaun Watson, Brock Purdy) aren't necessarily players Bucs fans would trade Mayfield for.
Time will tell if the Bucs extend Mayfield, tag him or if he leaves, but until then, it's going to be a big topic of conversation.
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