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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got some cover from the way the 2025 season ended in terms of quarterback Baker Mayfield‘s next contract. The way the team played down the stretch meant there would be zero pressure to sign Mayfield to an extension this offseason.
At the NFL scouting combine on Tuesday, both general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles weighed in on Mayfield’s future — financial and otherwise.
The gist? They love having him around. They’ve tailored a big part of the offense to suit his needs with new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. But as far as a new contract … that’s gonna have to wait as Mayfield plays the final season of his 3-year, $100 million contract in 2026.
“Bucs GM Jason Licht gave no timetable for extending the contract of QB Baker Mayfield but says their assessment of Mayfield has not changed,” Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account.
After 2 Pro Bowl seasons and consecutive NFC South Division titles in 2023 and 2024, Mayfield and the Buccaneers took a big step back in 2025, with his play early sparking the Buccaneers to a 5-1 start and his play late being one of the key factors in the 8-9 finish and missing the playoffs for the 1st time since 2019.
If Mayfield wants another deal — one that could very well be worth upwards of 450 million per year — he’s going to have to prove it.
Mayfield Started Time With Bucs In ‘Prove It’ Mode
If Mayfield takes the approach to 2026 he took to 2023, the Buccaneers could very well be in line for a return to power in the NFC South.
The Buccaneers took a chance on Mayfield with a 1-year, $3 million “Prove It’” contract in 2023 that led to his big payday. There’s no reason to think with a healthy lineup and a few improvements on defense he can’t be one of the NFL’s elite players.
The biggest issue for Mayfield in the 2nd half of the season was he never seemed quite right physically after leaving a Week 12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams with a shoulder injury.
The loss to the Rams came smack dab in the middle of a stretch where the Buccaneers lost 7 of 8 games, and injuries for Mayfield seemed to come largely as a result of his Devil May Care playing style. As did some key interceptions that decided games.
“I don’t want to say (the style of play and injuries) is sustainable,” Bowles said. “I think that’s who he is. He’s got to be smarter than that, especially in the second half of the season, when you get guys down. So he’s got to be a little smarter taking care of his body, so we can have the availability there, but being with us three years now, we know who he is. We trust him completely, and we have full confidence in him.”
Health Most Critical To Mayfield, Bucs Winning
If healthy, the Buccaneers seem to have everything they need on offense.
It’s also hard to imagine another season where injuries could ever take their toll like they did in 2025 — out of the 11 projected starters in the preseason only Mayfield and center Graham Barton played in all 17 regular-season games.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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