As the 2026 NFL season looms closer, Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to appear on separate pages in terms of contract negotiations.
Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback is on the tail end of a three-year, $100 million deal signed in 2024. Before that, the 31-year-old joined the club on a one-year, $4 million contract, somewhat of a prove-it deal after being bounced around between teams in 2022.
Mayfield is coming off a season in which “MVP” chants were heard for several weeks. While he did not end up taking home the award, the Oklahoma alumni did everything in their power to will an immensely injured Buccaneers team as close as possible to a playoff appearance. In doing so, the former first-overall pick believes it is time to get paid.
Baker Mayfield Calls Out Tampa Bay for Lackluster Contract Negotiations
Amidst his final contract year, Mayfield and the Buccaneers appeared to be working towards a deal. However, with the 2026 season nearly set to kick off, those conversations seem to be trending in the wrong direction.
Although the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner and his family call Tampa Bay home, the quarterback is disappointed that the team has not met his desires.
“I wanted a deal done and set a deadline and told them it was gonna be all ball after that, and I did mean that,” said Mayfield. “I don’t know if they thought I was just gonna take some of the offers they gave. I’m at the point of my career in understanding what I’ve brought to this franchise.”
Mayfield went on to say he is very appreciative of the opportunity Tampa Bay has given him, but that his leadership and overall play make the failed negotiations feel “disrespectful.”
“I think I’m a franchise quarterback,” said Mayfield. “I’ve been told I’m a franchise quarterback, it’s been said publicly from ownership down here. So to not have a deal done is disappointing.”
Now entering his fourth season with the Buccaneers, it is clear Mayfield understands his value within the organization.
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Backlash Falls Upon Mayfield Following Disappointing Remarks Towards Buccaneers
Despite his confidence, Mayfield’s comments have already drawn attention from NFL media. Among some of the reactions are those from the cast of “Get Up,” specifically former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum.
The former New York Jets general manager understands Mayfield’s caliber of play, but does not believe he is going about it in the correct manner.
“Baker Mayfield’s a good player,” said Tannenbaum. “31-years-old, 95 touchdowns over the last three years, great person by all accounts, but Baker Mayfield is easily aggrieved. That’s just what his personality is.”
Tannenbaum continued, “If the four of us were representing Baker Mayfield, here are the facts: he burned a bridge in Cleveland, he burned a bridge in Carolina, he called out the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and now he torched the team that brought him in. So now, that’s one eighth of the NFL that’s out.”
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As Mayfield continues to wear his heart on his sleeve, Tannenbaum poses a question to his castmates.
“At the end of the season, he has a representative season, and he wants to make north of $50 million a year. How many teams are left?” asks Tannenbaum. “That need a quarterback, that are gonna pay him over $50 million a year, that he didn’t burn a bridge, that’s not gonna draft a quarterback.”
The 57-year-old concludes in complete disbelief at Mayfield’s antics.
“What are you doing, Baker?” questions Tannenbaum emphatically. “Just let your agent handle it. Sometimes negotiations are rough, sometimes GMs can be a little on the low end of fair; that’s just part of the process. To me, what are you doing, calling out a team that you’ve had so much success with? Where are you going in 2027?”
It is an undeniably uncanny journey for the 6’1″ gunslinger. Aside from his ups and downs, Mayfield appears to be playing some of the best football in his professional career. That said, is the Buccaneers QB1 worthy of the money he is vying for, or is he making a career-altering mistake?
