The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter training camp with one major piece of business still unfinished.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield remains without a contract extension. However, all signs continue pointing toward a deal eventually getting done.
Despite an injury-filled 2025 season that ended without a playoff appearance, the Buccaneers still view Mayfield as their franchise quarterback. The veteran has become one of the organization’s biggest leaders. He’s also gained national attention through his appearance on Season 3 of Netflix’s Quarterback.
Earlier this offseason, Mayfield admitted he wasn’t pleased with Tampa Bay’s initial contract offer. He also made it clear he prefers negotiations to end before training camp begins.
With camp now just days away, the timeline is becoming more important.
Albert Breer Provides the Latest Update
Sports Illustrated senior NFL insider Albert Breer recently shared what he’s hearing around the league regarding Mayfield’s negotiations.
“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 stated.
“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 stated. “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.”
Breer’s report reinforces something many around the league already believe.
While public comments created concern, negotiations have never appeared close to collapsing.
Buccaneers Ready to Increase Negotiations
Breer also revealed the Buccaneers are preparing to intensify discussions as training camp begins.
“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.”
Breer doesn’t expect this situation to drag into the regular season.
“I think they’ll get something done before Week 1,” Breer stated. “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 believes the final agreement should land near the top of the current quarterback market.
“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,” per Breer.
A Deal Still Feels Like the Most Likely Outcome
Breer’s report didn’t include a major breakthrough. However, it did provide another encouraging sign.
The Buccaneers are reportedly preparing to ramp up negotiations before the regular season arrives. That aligns with the organization’s recent history of completing major extensions during training camp.
Both sides have repeatedly expressed their desire to continue the partnership.
The biggest remaining hurdle appears to be agreeing on the financial details.
Summary
Nothing in Breer’s latest report suggests contract talks are headed in the wrong direction. Instead, it reinforces the belief that Tampa Bay and Baker Mayfield are moving toward a long-term extension. With training camp beginning and both sides motivated to reach an agreement, the coming weeks could finally bring the deal Buccaneers fans have been expecting all offseason.
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