The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield continue to publicly negotiate as the two sides work toward a contract extension. Those talks haven’t gone well so far, with Mayfield admitting he felt “disrespected” by the team’s latest offer.
Because of that, team general manager Jason Licht came out Thursday and said the franchise tag would be an option next offseason if the team and Mayfield can’t agree on a long-term deal.
While that makes things sound dire, Licht did reiterate that the team’s goal was to work out a long-term extension with Mayfield.
The 31-year-old Mayfield is in the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract he signed with the Buccaneers in 2024. At the time, Mayfield was coming off a prove-it season with the team, where he threw for over 4,000 yards and 28 passing touchdowns. That performance earned Mayfield a long-term deal with the Bucs, and resurrected his NFL career after things looked bleak following a rough 2022 season.
Over the past two seasons, Mayfield proved his 2023 wasn’t a fluke. He turned in a truly great year in 2024, throwing for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, leading the Buccaneers to the playoffs. His numbers declined from that high in 2025, though he was still solid, throwing for 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns.
Like most players entering the final year of their contracts, Mayfield was hoping to lock down some long-term financial security instead of playing out the final year of his current deal. While the Bucs have sent offers, they haven’t been up to Mayfield’s standard. The quarterback didn’t hold back when discussing the issue in late July, saying he felt disappointed, disrespected and undervalued.
Those comments apparently irked some in the Buccaneers’ front office, which did not appreciate the way Mayfield spoke about the organization.
Though there may be some animosity between both sides, Licht did his best to try and offer support to Mayfield as both sides continue to work on an extension. When asked whether the team believed Mayfield was a franchise quarterback, Licht answered in the affirmative.
“We think he is,” Licht said. “We love Baker. Our feelings for Baker haven’t changed.”
“We think he is,” Licht said. “We love Baker. Our feelings for Baker haven’t changed.”
He also said he understood why Mayfield was disappointed and frustrated with the situation, saying the team feels similarly.
While playing a year on the franchise tag wouldn’t necessarily be the worst thing for Mayfield, it probably isn’t his preferred way to operate. Players on the franchise tag receive a one-year deal at an extremely high salary compared to others at their position.
But that situation comes with risks. If Mayfield gets injured or has a down season, he could lose millions once he finally hits the market. Because of that, players tend to value long-term security over a one-year deal on the franchise tag.
The opposite scenario can play out too. If a player on the franchise tag turns in a career year, they stand to make way more money on the market. It’s a high-risk, high-reward gambit.
Mayfield already took a deal like that when he joined the Buccaneers in 2023. At the time, Mayfield was coming off a disappointing 2022, when he made appearances on the Carolina Panthers’ scout team before eventually being traded to the Los Angeles Rams, where he was the team’s emergency starting option down the stretch.
Mayfield performed well in his limited time with the Rams, but teams were still skeptical of his success. Because of that, he signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the team in 2023.
Mayfield bet on himself and won that time around. While it’s possible he could repeat that scenario in 2026, Mayfield probably has no desire to relive the past, especially after he proved over the past three seasons that he’s a Pro Bowl-caliber starter.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
