The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield are currently in a rocky spot after the veteran quarterback arrived to training camp without a new contract. Entering the final year of his current deal, Mayfield set a start-of-camp deadline to get a deal done, and admitted that he felt disrespected that he and the franchise weren’t able to get on the same page.
That now adds another element to the Buccaneers’ already stake-filled year. The quarterback will be playing to earn himself a new deal, and his next contract could be affected by every game. Of course, if Mayfield balls out, like he tends to do when he has a chip on his shoulder, Tampa Bay will prepare to offer him a lot of money.
However, there’s also the possibility that the Buccaneers could just let Mayfield walk after the season. While that may seem like an unlikely outcome, the circumstances Tampa Bay are facing make it a real possibility.
Buccaneers moving on from Baker Mayfield may be more likely than fans want to admit
Mayfield has played three seasons in Tampa Bay, and last year was the first season that the Bucs didn’t win the NFC South. Because of that, it may seem like Mayfield and the team could afford a down year, however, that’s far from true.
The Buccaneers were only 9-8 when they won the division in 2023, and 10-7 when they did it in 2024. Additionally, between those two playoff trips, the franchise has just one postseason win. So Tampa Bay’s 8-9 record last season was just the latest in a stretch of mediocrity for the team.
That's why 2026 is such a pivotal year for the franchise. Head coach Todd Bowles is on the hot seat, and another average season could force the Bucs to just hit the restart button. If Tampa Bay is going to get a new head coach, and possibly a new general manager, the team very well could decide to move on from Mayfield as well.
That would explain why the Buccaneers were only interested in signing Mayfield to a two-year deal. They understand the franchise could be at a crossroads after this season, so it wouldn’t make sense to have an expensive, long-term commitment to a quarterback.
Mayfield should be aware of that after the failed negotiations with the team. That means he won’t just be playing for the size of his next contract, he’ll be playing for his future with the Buccaneers as well.
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