Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield addressed the media after the second day of training camp and made sure he put all discussions around his contract to bed. Mayfield made it clear that he was disappointed and disrespected by the Buccaneers for how they handled negotiations.
However, he told the team that he would not listen to contract offers after he reported to training camp, and he made it clear today that he would be the case.
“Disappointing to feel disrespected a little bit after thinking you earned it,” said Mayfield on his contract negotiations. “We love it here. I wanted a deal, I set a deadline, and told them it would be all ball after that, and I did mean that.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterback Baker Mayfield Disrespected By Contract Talks
Mayfield said that he addressed the team after the first day of training camp. He wanted to tell the team that he is done talking about his contract and everything from there forward would be all team. Mayfield said he knew the veterans in the room already knew that, but wanted to address the team so that the new faces understood what he was about.
This is the type of leadership that Mayfield is talking about when he is discussing his value as a franchise quarterback. Mayfield believes his value as a leader off of the field is just as important as what he brings to the field.
“I know what I brought to this franchise, leadership-wise and even play-wise,” said Mayfield. “I think I’m a franchise quarterback; I was told I’m a franchise quarterback from ownership down”
Because of what he was told, he expected to be treated a little differently than most players who have to wait to get deals.
Mayfield also warned the Buccaneers that the move could end up hurting them. He said he feels he is going to put together a great season and make negotiations even tougher next year.
When a reporter asked him about the fear of the franchise tag, he called the team’s bluff, saying it would tie up too much cap space to realistically make it happen.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Have a Tough Decision to Make with Baker Mayfield
All indications are that while Mayfield is mad, the Buccaneers might be fine with a motivated version of their franchise quarterback. He is already asking so much that even if he played so well and deserved more, the team would likely not be adding much more to their current offer.
Meanwhile, if Mayfield did play poorly, it would be a continuation of his season in 2025. If he played like the second half of 2025, the Bucs will be very happy that they did not extend him.
So, while they are going to get a mad Mayfield, and while they risk losing the most important player on the team, they might not be as fearful of that outcome as Mayfield thinks.
There is a real chance neither side would have come to an agreement even if they did talk things out for the next month. So, Mayfield got ahead of it and shut things down.
Baker Mayfield Says Buccaneers Disrespected Him