Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield hasn’t signed a contract extension, but there has been a significant change to his current pact.
Mayfield is signed through the 2026 season on a deal that did not originally guarantee any of the money he’s set to receive in the final year of the deal. During an interview with Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, Mayfield said that the Bucs agreed to guarantee an undisclosed amount of that compensation while the two sides look toward a longer extension.
“Right now, I’m under contract through ’26,” Mayfield said. “So it was really just about getting guaranteed money for ’26, and they did that. And that’s all I can ask for. I signed the contract, I knew what it was. Right now, it’s winning. I know good things will happen after that. I trust this place. I love being here. Obviously, used to bouncing around. I’ve done that before, but I don’t want to leave. It’s how can we wn right now? We have a team that’s really, really well built and [General Manager Jason Licht] and those guys did it. So, if we win right now good things will happen.”
Licht said last week that the goal is for the two sides to “reach an extension when the time is right and he continues to be our quarterback for a long time.” A fifth straight division title would likely move everyone closer to the right time to make another deal.
UPDATE 3:02 p.m. ET: Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Buccaneers have guaranteed $30 million for Mayfield in 2026.
Buccaneers fourth-round pick David Walker’s rookie season has come to an early end.
Walker was injured in Friday’s practice and multiple reports on Monday morning say that the linebacker suffered a torn ACL. Once the Bucs confirm the news, Walker will be placed on injured reserve to start the process of working his way back for the 2026 season.
Walker spent his final three college seasons at Central Arkansas and won the Buck Buchanan Award as the best defensive player at the FCS level after recording 10.5 sacks during the 2024 season.
Haason Reddick, Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson, Chris Braswell, and Markees Watts remain in the mix for playing time on the edge of the Bucs defense.
The Buccaneers added a pair of offensive linemen to their 90-man roster on Friday.
The team announced the signing of guard Michael Jordan and tackle Tyler McLellan. They had one open roster spot and waived tackle Silas Dzansi with an injury designation to create room for the other new addition.
Jordan started 11 games for the Patriots last season. He started 19 games for the Bengals, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2019, and 10 games for the Panthers earlier in his career.
McLellan signed with the Chargers after going undrafted last year, but spent the entire season on injured reserve. He was waived in June.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has found a home with the Buccaneers.
The 30-year-old quarterback had the best season of his career in 2024, completing 71.4 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns — all career highs.
He’s under contract with the Bucs through 2026. But if he puts up another season like last year, one could argue he’s vastly underpaid. But Tampa Bay General Manager Jason Licht does want to keep Mayfield around.
“I love Baker. I love everything he’s done for us,” Licht said in an interview with Jeff Howe of TheAthletic.com. “The goal for us is for Baker to continue to be the player that he is, and at some point, we reach an extension when the time is right and he continues to be our quarterback for a long time. That’s the goal.”
Mayfield has helped lead the Bucs to the postseason in each of the last two years. While Tampa Bay lost to Washington in the 2024 playoffs, Mayfield still completed 15-of-18 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns in the contest — good for a 146.5 passer rating.
“We’re all ecstatic he’s our quarterback,” Licht said. “It’s an amazing story. What he’s been through with his career and his personal life, to come out of it the way he is, the future is bright for him.”
We’ll see how Mayfield and the rest of the Bucs offense plays with a new offensive coordinator in 2025 after Liam Coen departed the organization to become the Jaguars head coach.
When the Buccaneers signed 464-pound defensive lineman Desmond Watson as an undrafted rookie, he became the heaviest player ever to sign an NFL contract. But before he can actually play in the NFL, he’s going to have to lose some weight.
Watson opened training camp on the non-football illness list, and Bucs head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that his weight is the reason.
“It’s just about trying to get him better, to be a healthier player and get him on the field more,” Bowles said. “That’s where I’m at right now. He’s working at it and we’re working with him and that’s all you can ask.”
Bowles didn’t specify how much weight the Bucs want Watson to lose but said he has lost some and the team is working with him on getting to a point where they feel he’s ready to practice.
“We have some things in mind with him, where we want to see him at,” Bowles said. “He’s made some progress. . . . I don’t have a timetable on what we can get him down to or when that comes.”
Watson is a long shot to make the 53-player roster for the regular season, but if he can get himself into better shape he’ll give himself a chance to get on the field in the preseason and show what he can do.
