Mayfield reportedly to play season on current deal
Mike Florio discusses Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers not agreeing to terms on a contract extension ahead of training camp.
Video Transcript
A player who doesn't have a deal, Baker Mayfield.
And he made it clear a few weeks ago during the off-season program, I believe, near the end of the mini camp process, he set a deadline.
Wants to get it done by the start of training camp.
After that, no conversations.
Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported today that they are tabling the talks until after the season.
Now, if the Buccaneers were to suddenly show up and say, "Hey, Baker, we'll give you the full amount of your last position before the talks fell apart," nothing stops him from saying, "Okay."
Maybe he'll say, "I want more."
Maybe he'll sense weakness and pounce.
This is an artificial deadline.
There is no practical impediment.
It's not like July 15, if a guy's franchise tag after that, he can't sign a long-term deal.
No.
And there are teams that will do deals only until a certain point of training camp.
The Steelers, once the season starts, that's it, it's done.
No further talks.
But none of it means anything.
And Baker Mayfield can change his mind.
If they start off 4-0 and he's an MVP candidate, maybe they make him an offer that he won't refuse because you continue to carry the risk of injury, the risk of ineffectiveness, the risk of everything falling apart, and your value plummeting on the open market.
So we'll see how it goes.
But for now, the report is Baker Mayfield will be playing the 2026 season on his current deal, final year of a three-year, $100 million contract.
After that, it's either gonna be an extension, franchise tag, or he walks out the door if he chooses to do so.
He could become an unrestricted free agent and go back to the Buccaneers once he knows what else is out there.
Remember, this year's gonna be nutty.
It's gonna be nutty because the negotiating window/legal tampering period opens the day after the combine ends.
We'll know likely during combine week where some of these big names are gonna go, 'cause the negotiations are gonna be done.
I guarantee you they're gonna be done in Indianapolis this time around.
