The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had quickly become one of the most consistent teams in the entire NFL. Since Tom Brady first joined the organization, the team had made five consecutive postseason appearances, until last season.
Baker Mayfield, who succeeded Brady as the starting quarterback, played a big role in that turnaround. However, after a disappointing 2025 campaign, the road back to the playoffs seems to be getting tougher for the franchise.
Baker Mayfield Might Not Stay With the Buccaneers Long-Term
A wild card prospect when he was first brought in, Mayfield signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Buccaneers. He played well on it and, in 2024, signed a three-year, $100 million extension. In his three years, he’s already taken the team to some ridiculous highs.
After back-to-back seasons in which he threw for over 4,000 yards and totaled over 70 touchdowns, the 2025 season was a bit of a letdown. Throwing for just 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns, he was far from his usual explosive self, ranking at number 22 on PFN’s QB Impact Metric.
Some of that boiled down to lingering injuries for the superstar quarterback. But it has given Tampa Bay pause on a potential extension. As a result, the two sides haven’t come to an agreement as training camp gets underway.
As Ian Rapoport stated, “Not a great sign for a Baker Mayfield extension,” some believed it could be a positive development for the Buccaneers, as one account claimed, “And there it is. A fiery Mayfield with a contract chip on his shoulder is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Not a great sign for a Baker Mayfield extension…. https://t.co/ADXKJUGZmA
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 28, 2026
The timing of the failed extension, though, made the situation a lot worse. Superstar defensive tackle Vita Vea requested a trade from the organization after failing to agree on a contract. As a result, the organization is at risk of losing two of its best players.
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As Jeremy Fowler pointed out, “Fascinating time for Tampa Bay, which has a penchant for paying its stars but now has a Vita Vea trade request and a starting QB now eyeing free agency due to lack of contract movement.”
For some, though, the focus directly turned to general manager Jason Licht. As one fan exclaimed, “Yeah, get Jason Licht out of here,” others still believed in what the Bucs GM could achieve.
Erik Duerrwaechter of Windy City Gridiron wrote, “Knowing Jason Licht, he’s going to exhaust all options possible to extend both Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea. That being said, Baker Mayfield is likely his biggest priority. And he won’t ignore trade offers for Vita Vea outright. Both stories could last throughout training camp.”
Knowing Jason Licht he’s going to exhaust all options possible to extend both Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea.
That being said, Baker Mayfield is likely his biggest priority. And he won’t ignore trade offers for Vita Vea outright.
Both stories could last throughout training camp. https://t.co/U4MaWKSSap
— Erik Duerrwaechter (@EDuerrwaechter) July 28, 2026
For many fans, the immediate attention would turn to the upcoming season. After Vea’s trade request, the team was already reeling, but a potential complication with Mayfield that caused him to miss games could derail their entire year.
Thankfully, Greg Auman of Fox Sports had some good news for them. “Here’s Mayfield reporting for the start of training camp. He made it clear this summer that even if he didn’t get a new contract, he’d play with a full focus on helping the team have the best chance to win games. Contract talk is shelved until after the season.”
Here’s Mayfield reporting for the start of training camp. He made it clear this summer that even if he didn’t get a new contract, he’d play with a full focus on helping the team have the best chance to win games. Contract talk is shelved until after the season. https://t.co/7BNu3hIZJa
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) July 28, 2026
It remains to be seen whether the contract situation will be fixed next summer. Mayfield had previously made it clear that he wouldn’t engage in negotiations once training camp began. So, the conversation will happen at a later date, potentially even next year.
But it remains to be seen whether the cloud hanging over the entire organization will affect how the team plays on the field this year.
