NFL Insider Gives Big Update on Baker Mayfield Contract Talks

Despite an underwhelming finish to the 2025 NFL season that saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose their stranglehold on the NFC South before eventually blowing their chance at a postseason berth for the first time since 2019, their quarterback, Baker Mayfield, has remained a popular figure this offseason.

Not only is the Bucs' QB featured on season 3 of the Netflix show "Quarterback", but he's also in the midst of what we'll describe as a 'polite contract dispute' with the Buccaneers.

At least so far.

Not long ago, Mayfield publicly expressed his disappointment in the Buccaneers' initial offer, while reiterating that he wants to stay in Tampa Bay for the long haul but suggesting he will not negotiate a new contract once training camp begins.

Now, with Buccaneers training camp less than a week away, pressure is beginning to mount.

Sports Illustrated Senior NFL reporter Albert Breer is very plugged in to pretty much everything happening around the league, and he recently dove into all of his insider information heading into training camp.

NFL Insider Offers New Info on Mayfield's Contract Status

One of Breer's main focus points in his article was the contract dispute between Mayfield and the Buccaneers.

"There are always some QB extensions signed in the summer, and this year’s not an exception, with Baker Mayfield’s situation standing as the headliner," Breer wrote.

"To review: Mayfield addressed the situation in June, saying the sides weren’t close and that he didn’t want to negotiate after training camp started, setting a sort of artificial deadline for negotiations," he wrote. "The reality was, at the time, that the Buccaneers had made an initial offer, and while Mayfield’s camp saw it as far from what would be required to agree to a deal, the player’s side hadn’t countered yet. Also, Tampa’s recent operating procedure has been to do deals during camp, with OL Tristan Wirfs, OL Luke Goedeke and CB Zyon McCollum as examples."

Expect Contract Negotiations to Heat Up

Dec 7, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After setting the table, Breer then provided more concrete details regarding where things stand at this moment and what he expects to transpire in the near future.

"Since then, there hasn’t been much progress, though the Buccaneers are prepared to dive in on negotiations this week, with the first day of practice set for a week from Wednesday."

"I think they’ll get something done before Week 1," Breer wrote. "This isn’t overly complicated. Mayfield is due to make $40 million this year, the final year of the three-year, $100 million deal he and the Bucs agreed to. So he doesn’t have to overextend himself to get a contract. The franchise tag for quarterbacks projects to just over $50 million for 2027, meaning two tags would be just north of $110 million total. That sets the APY at $55 million per year, which is right around where Justin Herbert, Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love are."

Breer concluded the segment on Mayfield and the Bucs by predicting what type of contract terms he expects the two sides to iron out.

"So something in the range of $165 million over another three years makes sense, or a little more than that to account for inflation over the aforementioned deals," he wrote.

Although Breer didn't offer any earth shattering news regarding his prediction on what type of deal the Bucs and Mayfield might agree on, the fact that he suggested that the Buccaneers are "prepared to dive in on negotiaitons this week" is definitely news worth monitoring.

The fact that the team is eager to begin negotiations before the end of Mayfield's 'deadline' suggests that Mayfield and the Buccaneers are likely to come to terms on a long-term deal at some point in the near future.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google