Baker Mayfield isn’t holding back, telling everyone last week he felt “disrespected” by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after contract talks stalled, and he’s now vowing a “big year” in 2026. This isn’t just some locker room chatter, either. After his self-imposed deadline for an extension came and went at the start of training camp, it got reported on July 28 that he’s playing out the final year of his current deal. Talk about high stakes.
The Standoff That Got Personal
Mayfield first dropped the bomb back in June during his youth football camp, saying he set a deadline for an extension with the Bucs and that the two sides weren’t “anywhere close” to an agreement. But Bucs general manager Jason Licht tried to smooth things over, telling reporters from training camp on Thursday that the team’s feelings for Mayfield “haven’t changed.” Licht even went as far as to say, “We think he is,” when asked if Mayfield is a franchise quarterback, adding, “We love Baker.” Sounds like some serious mixed signals coming out of Tampa, right? Mayfield’s response to it all? Pure fire: “If you’ve waited this long to pay your franchise quarterback, it’s only going to get worse… I’m going to have a big year.” You can feel the tension from here.
Where Baker’s Money Stacks Up
Mayfield is staring down the final season of that three-year, $100 million contract he signed in March 2024. That $33.3 million average annual salary places him 16th among all quarterbacks. Think about it: our guy **Sam Darnold** is pulling in $33.5 million, just above him, with Aaron Rodgers at $22.5 million right below. It’s wild that Rodgers, Malik Willis, Jacoby Brissett, Kirk Cousins, and even Geno Smith are the only projected starting QBs not on rookie deals making less than Mayfield on a per-year basis.
Remember, signing with the Bucs as a free agent back in March 2023 really brought his career back from the brink after a rough 2022 split between Carolina and Los Angeles, where he put up just 2,163 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 12 appearances. In his three seasons with Tampa, Mayfield’s averaged 4,079 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and completed 66.3 percent of his attempts, even leading the team to division titles in 2023 and 2024. But last season, the Bucs stumbled, losing seven of their final nine games after a 6-2 start, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Now, with Mayfield feeling disrespected and ready to prove himself, this next year is going to be an absolute must-watch for Tampa fans, and frankly, the whole league.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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