The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are entering a pivotal season, not just with Baker Mayfield entering a contract year, but possibly with Todd Bowles on the hot seat after another campaign of playoff-less football. That’s likely not something the Bucs can afford, and should they miss the postseason, the blame will surely fall on the shoulders of Mayfield, Bowles, and possibly even general manager Jason Licht.
Yet, the biggest story here may be Mayfield, who has no interest in continuing to negotiate a contract extension once Tampa Bay’s regular season officially kicks off. But the Buccaneers haven’t started playing games that count quite yet, not until Sunday. Now there’s a belief that the tide could still turn between Mayfield and the front office.
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NFL Insider Expects Baker Mayfield Contract Extension Before Opener
Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) reacts after a touchdown during the first half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn ImagesCredit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mayfield is in the final season of the three-year, $100 million contract signed with Tampa Bay in March of 2024. His $39.97 million cap hit is a high number, one that the Bucs may want to trim down a bit to have more room under the salary cap. More importantly, they likely want to lock in their franchise quarterback past the end of this season.
According to Sports Illustrated‘s NFL insider Albert Breer, there may still be enough time for Mayfield and the Bucs to strike a new deal.
“I still think there’s a deal to be done between the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield. But it’s going to take someone reengaging over the next six days. On one hand, there haven’t been any substantive negotiations since the start of camp, with Mayfield sticking to his word that if it wasn’t done by then, he was shelving it until after the season. On the other, the two sides weren’t that far apart earlier in the summer. And the Buccaneers showed their willingness to get a market deal done closer to the season again (after doing such deals with Tristan Wirfs, Zyon McCollum and Luke Goedeke the last two years), by giving Vita Vea the sort of bump, with a one-year extension, that Dexter Lawrence got in Cincinnati. So will someone pick up the phone this week?”
SI’s Albert Breer on Baker Mayfield
That would be great news if the Bucs and Mayfield could actually strike a deal. But as Breer notes, it would require someone actually picking up the phone and being willing to alter their previous stance. Though, as Breer wrote, the “two sides weren’t that far apart earlier in the summer,” so maybe they’re still not that far off.
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Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on Sportsnaut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports … More about Andrew Buller-Russ