The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are staring down a gauntlet of contract negotiations next offseason.
In addition to malcontents Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea, there are several other cornerstone players entering their contract years in Tampa Bay.
One of those key players is Cody Mauch, whose value just skyrocketed after another young guard cashed in with a massive payday.
Falcons’ Matthew Bergeron extension just made Cody Mauch more expensive for the Buccaneers
The Atlanta Falcons re-signed Matthew Bergeron to a four-year, $96 million extension. The $24 million annual value ties him with Cowboys’ Tyler Smith as the highest-paid guards in NFL history.
That deal could complicate things when it’s time for the Buccaneers to begin negotiations with their own starting guard, Cody Mauch.
As Fox Sports’ Greg Auman pointed out, Bergeron has never made a Pro Bowl and has never ranked higher than 20th among guards by PFF. A player with that résumé earning such a hefty contract has ripple effects across the guard market — especially for a rising star like Mauch.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Mauch’s trajectory is pointing up as he develops into one of the NFL’s best interior linemen. He missed most of last season after suffering a season-ending injury in Week 2, but in 2024 when fully healthy, Mauch ranked as PFF’s No. 14 guard, including No. 6 in pass blocking.
If Mauch returns healthy in 2026 and takes another step forward in his development, he’ll likely find himself regarded as a top-10 guard, which could price him out of Tampa Bay’s budget.
The Buccaneers already face a potential blockbuster Baker Mayfield extension, which would be the biggest contract in franchise history. Then there’s Vita Vea, Yaya Diaby and a club option decision on Chris Godwin.
Tampa Bay is already spending north of $20 million annually on both Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke. As valuable as Mauch has been, the Bucs already have one of the NFL’s most expensive offensive lines, and they could have no choice but to get cheaper at the position.
The team just drafted Billy Schrauth in the fifth round, and he is a natural candidate to be groomed as a potential successor if Mauch moves on.
Tampa Bay would love to keep Mauch long term, but the rapidly rising guard market could make that easier said than done. With several key players also due for new deals, the Buccaneers will face some difficult choices next offseason.
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