Breer: Bucs dive in to negotiations with Baker

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This comes from a post that Buccaneers beat writer Rick Stroud wrote after having a chance to watch the series. In addition to the knee injuries, Stroud notes that Mayfield also had a “bad biceps contusion” that affected his velocity, in addition to the left shoulder injury he suffered in Week 12 against the Rams. Hopefully a healthy offseason and a chance to fully rehab these injuries will go a long way in Mayfield having a bounce back season after he was visibly struggling during various points of last season. The 31-year-old QB is entering the final year of his deal with the Buccaneers, and while he has expressed interest in signing a long-term extension, recent reports suggest he and the Bucs are nowhere near an agreement on a new contract.

“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.