Training camp for the 2026 season is officially underway but for the Buccaneers, a lot of the focus is unfortunately off the field right now and the attention has turned to the contracts of quarterback Baker Mayfield as well as defensive tackle Vita Vea. Vea has already requested a trade after not being able to get an extension done with the team and even though it is unlikely he is dealt, this is still not something you want becoming a distraction. On the Mayfield front he has made it very clear
that he will not be negotiating with Tampa Bay any further once training camp started a Mayfield was very blunt when talking to the media Thursday afternoon.
Mayfield confirmed he addressed the team, saying this won’t be a distraction. Plans to have a huge year, believes he’s in best shape.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 30, 2026
‘If you’ve waited this long to pay your franchise quarterback, it’s only going to get worse…I’m going to have a big year.’ https://t.co/DiAmpgw5g2
Mayfield isn’t happy, the team isn’t happy but what are the pros and cons of signing Mayfield to an extension right now? Lets dive right into it.
Pro: Sign him early to keep him happy
This ship probably has already sailed huh? Now if I had to guess, Mayfield was genuine when he set a deadline. That being said though, if the Bucs call his agent with an offer that is much improved in Mayfield’s eyes are they really not even going to hear them out? The agent has to take that call and if they offer the deal, you are looking for, I wonder if Mayfield’s deadline all of the sudden doesn’t appear so set.
The team probably has already lost the ability to keep Mayfield completely happy unless they give him an incredible deal but that’s the risk they ran when they didn’t extend him. Had they come to an agreement by this point, Mayfield would have been pretty pleased and it would have avoided a lot of awkward interviews and limit the distractions. Mayfield says he is now focused on football but the contract situation will be looming in the back of everyone’s head. Extending him by this point would have made things a lot more simple.
Pro: Bucs could get a bargain
Now this obviously is reliant on Mayfield performing at a high level for an entire season but getting an extension done could end up looking good for the team if he is able to play like a top ten quarterback and lead the team back to the playoffs. The salary cap in the NFL is only going to keep rising and with that eventually a contract that may be a lot right now will look a lot better in 2-3 years. Short term pain for long term could happen but again, that relies solely on Mayfield performing well and at times outperforming his potential new deal.
Con: Bucs could also be stuck with a bad contract
Yes, if Mayfield plays well and the Bucs win a lot of football games then that contract looks really good. If he doesn’t though and it looks a lot like the second half of 2025 for Baker, the Bucs would have one of the worst contracts in the NFL on their hands with no realistic way to get rid of it. Teams can often survive giving out a bad deal or two, but it’s not often a team can survive it when it is at the quarterback position. Look at the Cardinals with Kyler Murray and Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa, both were signed to massive extensions with their teams, and they just never got to that next level. Both Murray and Tua are now on different teams playing for very little money. You could make the argument that Mayfield is better than both of those guys, but it still doesn’t change the fact that handing out a big contract to a QB that doesn’t perform can sink a team.
Bucs would be betting on Mayfield and if they are wrong, it becomes a hole that would take a long time to dig themselves out of.
Con: Uncertainty in other areas for Tampa Bay
Simply put, this team could look a lot different in just a few months. After missing the playoffs in embarrassing fashion, it is safe to assume Head Coach Todd Bowles enters 2026 on the hot seat and he likely won’t survive a second straight year without a playoff appearance. If Bowles is out, how bad does the season have to be to question General Manager Jason Licht’s job security? I think it would take a lot for Licht to be in trouble but if Tampa Bay only wins a handful of games and find themselves at the bottom of the NFC South, all bets could be off.
So, with all the uncertainty surrounding the head coach and potentially general manager, what if they commit to Mayfield right now? Tampa Bay would be stuck with Baker who, if the Bucs played bad enough to get Bowles and Licht fired likely didn’t play well himself. Any new coaching or general manager candidate would now be stuck with Mayfield as their signal caller for 2027 and likely 2028 as well. That is a tough sell when you are trying to pitch to other external candidates.
Tampa Bay knows they may look different in 2027 and I’m not sure if they want to strap themselves to Baker Mayfield at this time.
