{"id":885259,"date":"2026-05-07T23:27:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T23:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/885259\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T23:27:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T23:27:25","slug":"baker-mayfield-and-the-bucs-will-get-an-extension-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/885259\/","title":{"rendered":"Baker Mayfield and the Bucs will get an extension done"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Buccaneers<\/a>Buccaneers NFL WEEK 5 Baker Mayfield has led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first 3-0 start in 21 years, engineering game-winning drives in all three contests. Here’s how he’s become the NFL’s clutch king.<\/p>\n

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a> continue to move toward a long\u2011term extension with quarterback Baker Mayfield,<\/a> and every indication points to a deal happening sooner rather than later. Heavy.com reported that Spotrac\u2019s Michael Ginnitti projected a three\u2011year, $155 million extension for Mayfield before training camp. Ginnitti wrote that Mayfield \u201cshowed more than enough to warrant a few more guaranteed years at a pay level more commensurate to his production,\u201d noting that $55 million per year has become the market rate for quarterbacks of his caliber.<\/p>\n

Mayfield enters the final season of his three\u2011year, $100 million contract, and the Buccaneers want stability at the most important position. Fans embraced him, teammates rallied around him, and he embraced Tampa Bay with the energy of a quarterback who loves the city and the locker room. His leadership and competitiveness continue to shape the franchise\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

Jason Licht Makes the Team\u2019s Position Clear<\/p>\n

General manager Jason Licht reinforced the organization\u2019s stance during multiple offseason interviews. He told AP reporter Rob Maaddi, \u201cBaker is a true pro. He\u2019s a leader for this team. We love Baker. Baker is still our quarterback.\u201d Licht added that the team expects to \u201cfigure something out\u201d and that nobody inside the building wants Mayfield playing anywhere else.<\/p>\n

Pro Football Rumors reported that ESPN\u2019s Adam Schefter expects an extension to happen by September. Licht also said on WDAE that Baker Mayfield\u2019s future sits \u201cat the forefront of our minds,\u201d and the team intends to keep him long term. Tampa Bay already guaranteed $30 million of his 2026 salary, signaling confidence in his role as the franchise quarterback.<\/p>\n

Production Supports the Push for a New Deal<\/p>\n

Mayfield\u2019s<\/a> numbers back up the organization\u2019s belief. He threw for 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2025 despite injuries across the offense. His 2024 season included 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, one of the best statistical years in franchise history. ESPN\u2019s statistical database shows Mayfield ranking among the league\u2019s top ten in multiple categories during his Tampa Bay tenure.<\/p>\n

What Comes Next<\/p>\n

The Buccaneers know the NFC South<\/a> improved, and they want stability as they push for another playoff run. Mayfield gives them that stability. His connection with the fan base, his command of the locker room, and his proven production make the extension feel less like a question and more like a timeline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Buccaneers NFL WEEK 5 Baker Mayfield has led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first 3-0 start in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2077],"tags":[1842,211,7,7778,1591,6,20147,704,250,39103,2597,2596],"class_list":["post-885259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-baker-mayfield","tag-buccaneers","tag-football","tag-jason-licht","tag-nfc-south","tag-nfl","tag-nfl-contract-extension","tag-tampa-bay","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-tampa-bay-sports","tag-tampabay","tag-tampabaybuccaneers"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116535889108835456","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=885259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885259\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}