The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reportedly offered quarterback Baker Mayfield a 2-year, $100 million contract extension he found, to some degree, insulting.
According to Fox Sports commentator Colin Cowherd, Mayfield shouldn’t have been insulted by that offer — he should have leapt at it.
According to Cowherd, Mayfield isn’t even worth the $40 million cap hit the Buccaneers will incur in 2026 in the final year of the 3-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2024.
“I like him, but 2 years ago Baker was a $7 million cap hit, last year he was a $26 million cap hit, this year he’s a $40 million cap hit,” Cowherd said on August 3. “He’s not talented enough to win big with that. The 1st 25 games he was pretty good … the last 11 games, he’s stunk.”
Mayfield, Bucs at Odds Over Contract Extension
Mayfield and the Buccaneers are most certainly not on the same page when it comes to his new contract.
“While Mayfield would prefer a long-term deal, he’s not afraid of the franchise tag, which would cost Tampa Bay at least $47M in 2027,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on his official X account on July 26.
That’s an intriguing option for Mayfield, who is in the final season of a 3-year, $100 million contract but is coming off a season in which the Buccaneers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the 1st time since 2025.
“Baker has made $131.8 million already in his career & he’ll make $40 million this season,” Damage Inc. wrote on X. “Getting tagged at $47 million at age 32 won’t faze him at all. I’m sure he would like another nine-digit contract, but he’s going to make over $200 million in his career regardless.”
Baker Mayfield Loses Spot Among NFL Elite
The Buccaneers looked like 1 of the NFL’s best teams, and Baker Mayfield looked like 1 of the NFL’s best quarterbacks through the 1st 6 weeks of the 2025 regular season.
The reality of the rest of the season did some damage to Mayfield’s reputation in the eyes of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, who bumped him out of the Top 10 in ESPN’s annual position rankings.
Mayfield landed among the honorable mention picks in this year’s rankings after the Buccaneers went 8-9 and missed the postseason for the 1st time since 2019. He also didn’t make the Pro Bowl after earning a spot in each of his 1st 2 seasons in Tampa Bay in 2023 and 2024.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen took the No. 1 spot for the 1st time in his career, unseating Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and 3-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.
Mayfield was the only quarterback from the NFC South Division to receive votes.
“Mayfield is a winner,” one anonymous NFL coordinator told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “He can make every throw. Fearless. Teammates seem to love to play for him.”
Baker Mayfield Taking Hard Stance on Next Contract
When it comes to his next contract with the Buccaneers — or any other team — Mayfield is taking a hard stance and relayed as much at his annual football camp in June.
“(Contract extension talks) not anywhere close to what we were thinking,” Mayfield told Tampa Bay Times NFL reporter Rick Stroud. “Would love to be here long term, but as of right now that’s not exactly the case. But I’m under contract for 2026. The guys in that locker room, the staff know that I’m still gonna be me. I’m still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. To me, that’s the priority. Everything else will take care of itself.”
In Tampa Bay, Mayfield brought his career back to life after starting as the No. 1 overall pick on the Cleveland Browns, a brief stint with the Carolina Panthers, an even briefer stint with the Los Angeles Rams, then coming to the Buccaneers on a 1-year, $3 million contract after Tom Brady’s 2nd retirement following the 2022 season.
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield Called ‘Not Talented Enough’ for New Contract