The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a good position to win the NFC South, but the longevity of the team's build could be taking a darker turn than they are prepared for.
Let's take Baker Mayfield's contract situation and the comments he made on Thursday. "I’ve been told I’m a franchise quarterback. It’s been said publicly from ownership down here, so to not have a deal done is very disappointing.”
Baker Mayfield was NOT shy in his disappointment about not getting a long-term contract extension from the Bucs.
— Josh Crysler (@josh_crysler) July 30, 2026
“If you waited this long to take care of your franchise quarterback, that’s too bad, ‘cause it’s only gonna get worse from here. I’m gonna have a really good year.” pic.twitter.com/SQS1xMIc3g
These are not just words. When the starting franchise quarterback says them, they carry more weight, and inside the locker room, players take notice of them. It's what will eventually fester into a larger problem.
Baker Mayfield's contract comments leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a bigger problem
NFL executives can send positive and negative messages to their team that can't be undone. Jason Licht's decision not to get a deal done with Mayfield is a mistake. He has publicly said Mayfield is their "franchise" QB. So why is he entering the year without an extension?
To put this into a better context, fans can look further south to the Miami Dolphins. For nine years, that team was mismanaged by GM Chris Grier. He overpaid free agents, passed out money to underperforming players, and then watched better players leave to join other teams.
When Miami had an issue with the salary cap, Grier gave more money to Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey despite them being one year into their contracts. That left the team with cap issues, but more importantly, when he couldn't pay solid-performing veterans, they left the team.
This eventually divided the locker room, and that is exactly what the Buccaneers are sliding towards. Mayfield says the guys in the locker room are tight, and that is absolutely true, but when a player like Vita Vea asks for a trade, there is a management issue. Follow that with what Mayfield said, and it's the tip of an iceberg that could derail their season.
Players play for three things. Winning, money, and pride. Take out one, and the player won't be as good as he could be.
#Bucs QB Baker Mayfield says there’s not going to be turmoil in the locker room despite the “shady” dealing of the team.
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) July 30, 2026
They’re a close-knit group.
These contract issues will not divide the players from each other, but they will divide them from the management. There is a lack of faith. A guy who is playing well will look at this and say, "If they didn't pay them, they are not going to pay me." That's a death certificate.
Licht's inability to get this done just sent the message to the locker room that he isn't going to take care of the best players. It's not a winning formula. From Mike Evans' departure to Vea to Mayfield, it's now a matter of "whose next."
This isn't about not having the money to spend or going in a different direction. It's a franchise-defining directive. It will impact free agents deciding where to sign, rookies coming off their first NFL contracts, and veterans who are considering whether to stick around or go somewhere else.
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