Jason Licht Gives Clear Update on Baker Mayfield's Future With Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty of holes to fill on defense when the 2026 NFL Draft comes around, and general manager Jason Licht has already worked to do that in free agency so far. But there's one more position that he'd like to secure for the long term, and this time. it's at quarterback.

Licht gave quarterback Baker Mayfield a three-year, $100 million deal ahead of the 2024 season, and Mayfield proved him right by throwing over 40 touchdowns that year. He was looking like an MVP candidate at the beginning of 2025, but a disastrous skid that saw the Bucs win just two of their last nine games saw him play like one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL. Injuries were likely a big part of that, but it does call into question whether or not the Buccaneers should extend him this offseason or let him play out his last year in 2026.

Mayfield is arguably quite underpaid for his recent production, currently standing as the 16th-highest-paid signal caller in the league. Licht spoke at the NFL Owners Meeting in Arizona on Tuesday, and he made one thing abundantly clear — he intends to lock Mayfield up long term.

Jason Licht looking to extend Baker Mayfield this offseason

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Licht and Mayfield are looking to get an extension done this offseason, per the AP's Rob Maaddi. There isn't a set date they want that to happen, but Licht was extremely complimentary of Mayfield when asked about a potential extension on the table.

"Baker is still our quarterback. He's one of the toughest guys on the team," Licht said. "He's a great leader. Everything kind of revolves around the quarterback spot. At some point, I'm sure we'll figure something out. There's no timetable on that."

It could benefit both sides to let Mayfield's deal ride — the Buccaneers can make sure they have their guy after last year's decline, and Mayfield could play himself into a lot more money if he ends up playing good football. But Mayfield has a lot more to lose in this scenario, as a rough season would tank his value, so he could theoretically hold out in training camp in hopes of getting a deal done sooner than later.

Well, he could. Licht doesn't think Mayfield would do something like that.

"Baker is a true pro. Baker has never let us down. I'm not going to deal with hypotheticals. We love Baker," Licht said.

So, it seems like both sides want to get an extension done, and they want it to happen soon. So what's next?

How much would a Baker Mayfield extension cost?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) at the line of scrimmage in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The crucial question. The magic number here is $50 million — only 10 NFL quarterbacks hold the honor of making that much or more yearly, and Mayfield isn't even eclipsing $40 million per year on his current contract ($33,333,333). We know that Mayfield would go north of this number, but how much more north?

$50 million even would still put him at the bottom of the pack, right below Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts ($51 million APY). $52 million would put him alongside the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert and the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson, while $53 million would tie him with the Detroit Lions' Jared Goff and the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy. There are four quarterbacks who make an annual average of $55 million (the Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence, Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love, Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen and Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow) and just one who makes $60 million in the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott.

Naturally, Mayfield would like to be the highest-paid player in NFL history, but that may not be realistic, especially after last year's dip. Spotrac's market value currently has him at $53.6 million, which would put him tied for sixth with Goff and Purdy. Signing Mayfield to a huge extension might not be a great idea, given what could happen to Licht and head coach Todd Bowles next year if the team has a down year, but both sides clearly love the other and want to make it happen as soon as possible.

Time will tell if Mayfield gets an extension this year, and whether or not he reshapes the quarterback market. Until then, the Buccaneers have a lot of work to do as the NFL Draft looms.

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