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    Garafolo: Mayfield and Bucs not close on new deal

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    NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield are “not close” on an extension.

    “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done on this one,” Garafolo continued. “The Bucs are in no rush.” All outward projections have been that Mayfield and the Buccaneers will eventually find a middle ground, and Todd Bowles recently said that there’s “absolutely no question” he wants Mayfield as his quarterback for a long term. But it does seem like the two sides have very different dollar values attached to Mayfield and that this might be something that simmers into training camp.
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  • TB Quarterback #6
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    Licht during a Wednesday presser said the Bucs were “on to Cincinnati” with the regular season less than two weeks away. Licht has called Mayfield a franchise quarterback, but has not offered the veteran a long-term deal ahead of the 2026 season. Mayfield could be on his way out of Tampa in 2027 unless the team decides to use the franchise tag on him. Mayfield ranks 11th out of 40 qualifying QBs in adjusted EPA per drop back since the start of the 2024 season, ahead of Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott, among others.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    Mayfield played just two series and was without his top four receivers, with only Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell joining him as presumed regular starters. Even so, the offense was hardly able to showcase its upside against backup members of the Kansas City defense. Whether Mayfield and the rest of the starters play in the team’s final preseason game next week remains to be seen, but there appears to be significant room for improvement before they kick off the regular season against the Bengals in three weeks.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    If Mayfield is to be believed, the Bucs don’t want to pay him like a franchise passer. Mayfield told ESPN last week that he was offered a two-year deal worth less than $50 million per year by the Bucs. Coming off a down season, Licht apparently wasn’t willing to commit to his supposed franchise quarterback long-term. Now Mayfield will play out the final year of his current contract before becoming a free agent next offseason. If he plays well, expect the Bucs to use the franchise tag to prevent him from leaving.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    Tampa’s two-year offer to Mayfield was reportedly close to “two years worth of franchise tags,” so it certainly seems like they’re going to do this after the season. Mayfield, entering into his age-32 season in 2027, would then be a potential trade candidate or could negotiate a long-term extension with Buccaneers depending on how this year goes. It does seem like the Bucs don’t really have any intention on letting Mayfield leave despite not extending him.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    This is presumably in reference to the comments Mayfield made publicly on Thursday, when he said he felt “disrespected a little bit” about the fact that the two sides had not agreed to a contract extension earlier this offseason. Mayfield officially tabled negotiations with the team at the start of training camp and appears set to play out 2026 on the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract he signed with the team in 2024. Mayfield, who also said he felt “undervalued” by the team, is coming off a down season in which he threw for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, but he also played through injuries and was without his top weapon, Mike Evans, for much of the season. Another strong season like we saw from Mayfield in 2024 (4,500-41-16) will be guaranteed to drive up his asking price next offseason.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    Mayfield added that he was looking to make $50 million per year and the Bucs’ offer was “pretty far” from that figure. Based on Mayfield’s comments, the Bucs wanted to offer him nearly the same contract as Daniel Jones. Though Mayfield is coming off a down year, his track record in Tampa Bay is far better than Jones’ in Indy, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he declined their proposal. Now he is heading into a contract year, with the potential to make a fortune in free agency if he has a rebound season.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    Mayfield had imposed a strict deadline for extension negotiations, one that expired when he reported to camp. That sets him up to play the 2026 season on the final year of his three-year contract with the team, during which he will earn just under $40 million and placing him at 16th in average annual value. Expect the two sides to revisit discussions following the conclusion of the season.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    Mayfield has been seeking a new contract from the Bucs all offseason, and earlier this month it was reported that the two sides were “not close” to a new deal. Mayfield has also reportedly set a training camp deadline for when he will stop all discussions with the team, although it’s unclear if that deadline is by the time players report (Tuesday) or when the team takes the field for its first practice (Wednesday). If a new deal isn’t agreed to, Mayfield would presumably prepare to play out 2026 on the one year remaining on his deal, which will pay him a base salary of $10 million.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    This is the kind of thing we like to hear for QB Baker Mayfield and his pass catchers. Robinson did not feature play action during his two seasons as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, nor did former Buccaneers OC Josh Grizzard, so Otton’s comments are reassuring. Per PFF, NFL offenses averaged 7.76 yards per pass play with play action and just 6.72 without it. Upping the play action rate should help the Buccaneers run a more efficient offense in 2026.
  • TB Quarterback #6
    Breer believes they’ll get something done before Week 1 and thinks it will be in the neighborhood of $165 million over three years — a slight bit of cap inflation from contracts for Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, and Justin Herbert are. The lack of progress on an extension this summer likely doesn’t mean much — deadlines drive action — and we’ve seen nothing so far that would lead us to believe the Buccaneers won’t reward Mayfield.

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  • SEA Running Back #8
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    The Athletic’s Andrew Destin believes the Seahawks will feature RB Jadarian Price on early downs while RB George Holani plays the third-down, short-yardage and goal-line roles.

    Destin reasonably wonders, “how much can Seattle feature Price as a pass catcher if he’s not trusted to block on third down?” He also thinks RB Zach Charbonnet (knee) will replace Holani whenever Charbonnet returns. Destin adds that “Price was not drafted as a direct replacement for Walker,” though he expects Price to handle a similar role. Losing high-value touches to Holani and Charbonnet could keep Price stuck in the RB3/FLEX tier, though, in a sense, he controls his own destiny and could force the coaching staff to increase his red zone usage with high-quality play.
  • NYG Outside Linebacker #39
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    Giants signed EDGE Malik Harrison, formerly of the Steelers, to the practice squad.

    According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Harrison agreed to the deal “with the goal to contribute early.” The pass rusher totaled 28 tackles and seven quarterback pressures last year with the Steelers.
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    ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) “is not present for the media-access portion of practice.”

    Reiss also notes that the Patriots have three pre-Week 1 practices remaining, and Henderson has not practiced since August 24th, when he sustained the injury. One week ago, a Boston Globe report indicated Henderson should be “good to go” for Week 1 against the Seahawks. He still has time to get right, but veteran RB Rhamondre Stevenson can be treated as the team’s clear-cut lead back for the time being.
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    The Athletic’s Matt Barrows said he is “sure” 49ers TE George Kittle (Achilles) “won’t be on the field for his usual 95 percent of the offensive snaps” in Week 1 against the Rams.

    While Barrows’ statement is agreeable, it leaves a lot of room for interpretation. The 32-year-old tight end is returning from an Achilles tendon rupture and was a close call to even make the trip to Australia, so a snap count of sorts makes sense. For fantasy managers who can afford to take a wait-and-see approach, it might be worthwhile. He has reportedly had a great recovery and his resumé is as good as it gets at the tight end position. He will likely be ranked as a low-end TE1 by default in Week 1 against the Rams.
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    The Athletic’s Matt Barrows believes “the plan” is for WR De’Zhaun Stribling to be the primary slot receiver and WR Mike Evans’ “understudy” at X-receiver.

    In his projected depth chart, Barrows lists Stribling as both the starting slot receiver and the No. 2 X-receiver. He does not place Stribling on the Z-receiver depth chart, which could mean the rookie wide receiver has not yet earned a role in two-wide receiver sets. Veteran WR Deebo Samuel is the starting Z-receiver, though Barrows already reported that Samuel will take only “a portion” of the overall Z-receiver snaps. It would be surprising to see Nos. 2-3 Z-receivers, Jordan Watkins and Jacob Cowing, play ahead of Stribling when Samuel needs a breather, but the season is long and Stribling can always change Barrows’ mind. Early in the year, Stribling is likely best treated as a WR4/FLEX candidate. Were Evans to miss time, Stribling would seemingly slide into a full-time starting role.
  • BAL Defensive Lineman #92
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    Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) resumed participating in team drills on Thursday.

    Ravens coach Jesse Minter labeled Madubuike as “day-to-day” heading into Week 1. This does not necessarily mean Madubuike will take the field against the Colts next week, but it is a step in the right direction. Madubuike racked up 10 quarterback pressures, two sacks and three tackles in just two games played last year. Getting him back, even in a limited capacity, is a big deal.
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    Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said there is “nothing new to report” regarding CB Christian Gonzalez’s contract negotiations.

    Vrabel’s comments concisely sum things up. Gonzalez, 24, is eligible for a contract extension but remains under contract through 2027 via his fifth-year option. The Patriots’ head coach notes that Gonzalez continues to grow as a player and remains competitive in practice.
  • ARI Wide Receiver #14
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    Cardinals signed Michael Wilson to a three-year, $75 million extension through 2029.

    Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes $47 million in guarantees, with a max value of $78 million. Wilson was set to enter a contract season in a week. Instead, he’ll be under contract with Arizona through the 2029 season. He broke out in the second half of the 2025 season and finished the year with his first 1,000-yard campaign. He compiled 775 of those yards in the final eight games of the year. Even if he can’t replicate those numbers over 17 weeks, Wilson took a massive step forward, and receivers aren’t cheap on the open market. It makes sense for Arizona to lock him up long-term instead of letting him test the waters of free agency next offseason.
  • BAL Wide Receiver #4
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    Zay Flowers returned to practice Thursday.

    Flowers suffered a quad bruise early in training camp but eventually returned to practice. He has been out of practice more recently with an undisclosed lower-body issue. His injuries have seemed relatively minor, and an appearance at practice today all but confirms that. Barring a setback, Flowers should be good to go as a high-end WR2 for Baltimore’s Week 1 opener versus the Colts.
  • NYG Running Back #44
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    Cam Skattebo said he considered retiring after suffering his season-ending ankle injury.

    Speaking on Up and Adams, Skattebo said he told himself in college that he would retire if he suffered a major injury. It’s a surprising comment on its face, but football fans shouldn’t be shocked that a young player questioned his choice of profession after suffering a gruesome ankle injury in his first season. Skattebo ultimately attacked rehab and returned faster than most people expected. He was a full-go early in the offseason and is now ready for Week 1.