The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield came to an agreement on a 3-year extension making him one of the highest-paid players in the league. See what ownership had to say about their gunslinger.
After months of back-and-forth, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and starting quarterback Baker Mayfield found an agreement on a 3-year, $165 million extension.
This deal keeps Mayfield with the franchise through 2029, and allows the team to move forward with no distractions surrounding the QB position.
Following the news, General Manager Jason Licht and Owner and Co-Chairman Joel Glazer released statements about why they made this move.
"Baker's arrival marked an important new chapter for our organization, and over the past three years, he has established himself as the unquestioned leader of our franchise," Glazer said.
Tampa's owner went on to say that this deal - the largest in franchise history, reflects the team's belief in their gunslinger and will allow Mayfield and his family to "call Tampa home for years to come."
While the Bucs weren't in imminent danger of losing Mayfield for this season, risking him hitting the market next offseason was worrisome.
Glazer had made it clear throughout the negotiations that he would be more than happy to write Mayfield a "big check," saying that everybody in the locker room loves him.
Licht was very positive about Mayfield's future as a Buccaneer as well, saying that he appreciates Mayfield preparation and "competitive edge."
"Baker is the heartbeat of this team, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have a quarterback and leader like him," Licht said in his release.
This deal does come as a bit of a shock, as earlier this month, Licht had said that the team would likely not re-engage in contract negotiations due to the opening game being so soon.
But, clearly the two sides found a number and structure they could both agree too, and wanted to get the deal hashed out before Week 1.
Roundtable's Jason Klingensmith was a fan of the move, grading the extension as an A-.
Now, Mayfield moves forward as one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL, looking to get his Bucs back atop the NFC South.
Last season, Mayfield was tenth in the NFL with 3,693 passing yards, throwing for 26 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions, but his numbers don't tell the full story of Tampa's strange season.
Following Tampa's strong 5-1 start to the season, the Bucs dropped seven of their last nine to end the year, losing the NFC South crown for the first time in five seasons.
With a similar playcaller (Zac Robinson) to Liam Coen, with whom Mayfield's 41 passing touchdowns led the NFL in 2024, he is in for a big year.
