ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler discussed Baker Mayfield’s contract negotiations on NFL Live on Monday, providing context on where Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand in ongoing talks.
NFL Insider Reveals Key Details in Baker Mayfield’s Contract Negotiations
Tampa Bay fans have been on high alert ever since Mayfield revealed earlier this month that his team and the Buccaneers were “nowhere close” on a new deal.
Mayfield is entering the final year of the three-year, $100 million contract he signed following the 2023 season.
“I’m told that the Bucs and Baker Mayfield have not made any progress on a new deal since he made those original comments in May,” Fowler said Monday. He also added that “neither side is worried” about getting a deal done.
Mayfield has been a steadying force since taking over as Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback. He has started all 51 possible games since the beginning of the 2023 season. The Buccaneers are 27-24 in the regular season and 1-2 in the playoffs with Mayfield as their starting quarterback. Tampa Bay has won the NFC South in two of his three seasons.
Mayfield also reiterated this weekend at his football camp at the University of Oklahoma that he wants to remain with the Buccaneers long term.
“I would love to be there,” Mayfield said Saturday, via Steve McGehee of KWTV. “I think both sides want to get it done. Now it’s a matter of finding that middle ground and what makes both sides happy. … We fell in love with Tampa, and it’s a great place to raise kids and be around. So, regardless of what happens, I think we’ll spend our offseasons there.”
Obviously, it’s a little brutally hot, but it’s good for training, but it’s — yeah, I want to be there long term. They treated me right, and it’s the first place I’ve gotten to that feels like Oklahoma when it comes down to football is football; how can they put you in the best position to have success on the field, and how can they give their resources to help you out? And so, it’s a great place.”
Mayfield Sets the Price Range for His Next Contract
It’s no secret that Mayfield is looking for a considerable pay raise with his next deal.
The 31-year-old is looking to cash in on his success for the first time in his career.
The base value of Mayfield’s career NFL earnings is $136.68 million. That total includes his four-year, $32.68 million rookie contract, his one-year, $4 million deal that brought him to Tampa Bay, and the previously mentioned three-year, $100 million contract he signed in January 2024.
Mayfield’s average annual salary of $33.3 million ranks 16th among quarterbacks entering the 2026 season. Fowler also revealed on Monday on NFL Live that Mayfield’s camp is seeking more than $50 million annually. Twelve quarterbacks currently make at least $50 million per year. Since joining the Buccaneers in 2023, Mayfield has performed like one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Mayfield ranks second in the league in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns. He has also posted a 97.4 passer rating during that span. However, Mayfield is coming off his worst season with Tampa Bay. His 3,693 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, 90.6 passer rating, and 63.2% completion percentage were all career lows with the Buccaneers. Much of that decline stemmed from lingering shoulder, ankle, knee, biceps, and oblique injuries that he played through.
When Could the Sides Agree on a Deal?
Fowler also shed light on the potential timeline for negotiations to pick up between Mayfield and the Buccaneers. “I expect some movement closer to mid- to late July when players are about to report,” Fowler said Monday. He also added that Mayfield plans to report to training camp.
In his original comments in May, Mayfield said he would not participate in contract negotiations once training camp begins. That gives both sides roughly four weeks to reach an agreement. Often, the weeks leading up to training camp are when teams and players agree to contract extensions. That could ultimately be the case for Mayfield and the Buccaneers.
