Baker Mayfield is entering the final year of the three-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2024. The 31-year-old quarterback recently told reporters that negotiations are “not anywhere close” to where he expected and set a firm deadline of either getting a deal done before training camp, as he will not negotiate after it to focus on football.

Mayfield is coming off a 2025 season in which he went from MVP candidate to watching the playoffs from home, and the Buccaneers now face a pivotal question about how much they’re willing to invest in a quarterback who didn’t finish last season well.

Why the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield Remain Far Apart in Contract Negotiations

Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay after stops in Cleveland, Carolina, and Los Angeles. He signed a one-year, $4 million prove-it deal in 2023, then threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns in his first season, leading the Buccaneers to a 9-8 record and a Wild Card win over the Eagles.

That performance earned him the $100 million extension, and he followed it up in 2024 with career highs of 4,500 passing yards and 41 touchdowns as Tampa went 10-7 and won its fourth straight NFC South title.

The 2025 season, however, changed perceptions of Mayfield. The team started the season 6-2 and the star quarterback was firmly in the MVP conversation, but the Buccaneers collapsed down the stretch, going 2-7 after their bye week to finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Mayfield finished the season with 3,693 passing yards and 26 touchdowns against 11 interceptions while playing through biceps, shoulder, knee, and oblique injuries. According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 73.4, ranking 24th in the league, a big drop from the 85.0 score he posted in 2024, when he ranked seventh in the league.

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Buccaneers insider Rick Stroud recently shared an update on the quarterback’s contract situation and said, “It’s important to understand this won’t be an easy negotiation. Mayfield’s average salary of $33.3 million ranks 16th among NFL quarterbacks. Until Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray and Kirk Cousins were released by their former teams, he was ranked 19th.”

“In 2026, 18% of the salary cap — the average percentage typically spent on a franchise quarterback — works out to $54 million annually,” he added. “Currently, only Dak Prescott earns more at $60 million per year. The new deal just signed by the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes features an average annual value of $64 million for the “new money” portion of the deal that begins in 2027.”

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“The Bucs are concerned about one element of his game he continues to neglect: his health,” Stroud continued. “While Mayfield hasn’t missed any games since joining the Bucs, he’s been slowed by injuries. Last season, some of that can be chalked up to injuries on the offensive line. But Mayfeld went from a top MVP candidate after leading the Bucs to a 6-2 start to losing seven of the final nine games and missing the playoffs.”

Health is truly a big concern, as Mayfield’s tenure in Cleveland also came to an end after he struggled while playing through a shoulder injury. However, if the Buccaneers get a healthy Mayfield in 2026 who resembles the 2024 version, the quarterback could realistically push for an annual salary of $55-60 million on his next deal.

If that happens, then the Buccaneers will be paying him much more than they would be required to if they sign him to a contract extension before the training camp.

If Mayfield can stay healthy behind a retooled offensive line and perform with Mike Evans by relying on Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Chris Godwin under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, the next contract will be the biggest of his career. If not, this could be his last season in Tampa.