Baker Mayfield says extension talks with the Bucs are 'not anywhere close'
Mayfield resurrected his career in Tampa Bay and is now two years from free agency. The two sides aren't near a deal, and the receiver market exploding around him only raises his number.
Baker Mayfield was asked about a new deal with Tampa Bay and didn't dress it up: talks are 'not anywhere close.' The quarterback who rebuilt his career with the Buccaneers is entering the back half of his current contract, and the gap between the two sides is real, even if the eventual outcome isn't in much doubt.
What did Mayfield say?
That the sides aren't close, and that he isn't sweating it. Mayfield characterized the negotiations as early and far apart while making clear he wants to stay in Tampa Bay, where he revived a career that had stalled across stops in Cleveland, Carolina, and Los Angeles. The 'not anywhere close' framing is candid but not alarming: it's the normal state of a negotiation that has time to develop rather than a sign of a rift.
Why does an extension make sense for both sides?
Because the partnership has worked. Mayfield has been one of the best value signings in recent memory, turning a modest Tampa Bay deal into multiple productive, playoff-relevant seasons. The Buccaneers get cost certainty and continuity at the game's most important position; Mayfield gets the security and top-tier money his play has earned. The logic points clearly toward a deal. The only question is the number and the timing.
How does the market affect his price?
It pushes it up. The quarterback market resets almost every offseason, and every new top-of-market deal raises the floor for the next veteran starter in line. Mayfield has the leverage of proven production and a team that has no obvious succession plan behind him. Waiting carries risk for Tampa Bay: the longer the deal takes, the more comparable contracts get signed, and the higher Mayfield's eventual price climbs. That dynamic usually motivates teams to get ahead of the market rather than chase it.
Players in this story
Sources
- ESPN: Mayfield - Contract talks 'not anywhere close' with Buccaneers
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