General manager Jason Licht and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it clear that they view keeping Baker Mayfield locked in as the franchise quarterback for the long haul would be one of the biggest priorities of the offseason, just as much as bringing in new blood to beef up a Todd Bowles defense that was among the worst in the NFL during the second half of the season when the Bucs collapsed out of the playoffs.
Mayfield himself had a poor back half of the campaign, but he was also injured and dealt tough blows with major injuries around him. In 2024 when everyone, Baker included, was healthy, the former Cleveland Browns (and Carolina Panthers) quarterback was dealing, and he was also arguably a top five passer in the league in the first half of the 2025 season.
Licht and the Bucs have undoubtedly been working hard to extend Mayfield before his contract runs out at the end of the 2026 NFL season, but it sounds like Mayfield is driving a harder bargain than the Buccaneers expected.
Baker Mayfield is putting Bucs under pressure
Because to the surprise of many Bucs faithful, Baker Mayfield effectively threw the front office under the bus and boldly proclaimed that the team are nowhere close to matching his demands. Mayfield told reporters, via Pewter Report, “The contract stuff - it’s happening it’s starting. 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. I’m under contract for 2026. The guy’s in the locker room and that staff know that I’m still going to be me. I’m going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. To me, that’s the priority. Everything else will take care of itself.”
As much as Baker's confidence and moxie can be endearing, they can also be grating, as they were for some of the members of his previous organizations like the Cleveland Browns. There are brief moments when Mayfield almost seems to go into business for himself or behaves in an abrasive manner that is not conducive to the team's goals, and this remark to reporters has a bit of that.
The overall sentiment is admittedly positive. Mayfield is focused on the Buccaneers making the postseason and winning the Super Bowl, first and foremost. At the same time, "not anywhere close to what we were thinking" is a wild statement to be making in June in the middle of talks, especially since Mayfield knows saying that now as opposed to March early on when there is more offseason buzz means that more people will be talking about his contract.
Cynically, perhaps, Mayfield is strumming up debate and interest in his negotiations, attempting to put more pressure on the Bucs organiztion from the fans and media. But Jason Licht and the Bucs do not play that game. They play their own. And if Mayfield does not ball out this season, then the money he is looking for won't be coming his way, if he is indeed looking for a crazy enough amount that it is "not anywhere close" to the Bucs likely competitive offers.
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