Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield does not appear happy with how the team is handling his contract situation.
Mayfield is heading into a contract year in 2026, and said Friday that initial talks with the Buccaneers have not been “anywhere close to what we were thinking.” The quarterback reaffirmed that he wants to stay with the Buccaneers, but at the moment, he is not sure if that will come to pass.
“Not anywhere close to what we were thinking. Would love to be here long term but as of right now that’s not exactly the case,” Mayfield said.
Baker Mayfield on contract extension talks. “Not anywhere close to what we were thinking,” Mayfield said. “Would love to be here long term but as of right now that’s not exactly the case. But I’m under contract for 2026. The guys in that locker room, the staff know that I’m still…
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) June 5, 2026
Mayfield is heading into the final season of a 3-year, $100 million deal with the Buccaneers. While that is still over $33 million annually, the quarterback market is such that the figure puts him more or less in the middle of the pack, behind the likes of Trevor Lawrence and Daniel Jones. Mayfield can rightly argue that he has been more consistently successful than those quarterbacks, and deserves a more comparable salary.
At times last season, Mayfield flashed MVP form. The 31-year-old wound up throwing for 3,693 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Mayfield is famous for playing with a chip on his shoulder. It might actually help the Buccaneers if he plays with some resentment in 2026, though on the whole, they probably would prefer to get some certainty regarding their franchise quarterback’s future.
