Baker Mayfield said Friday that contract talks with the Buccaneers are not close, and he drew a hard line at the start of training camp. Once camp opens, he said, the negotiating stops and it becomes football only.
The timing matters because Mayfield is under contract through 2026, but he made clear the sides are still far apart. He spoke from his youth football camp in Tampa, where he said he and his family have built roots and want to raise their kids there long term, even as a new deal remains unresolved.
That is the quarterback problem hanging over Tampa Bay as the season approaches. Mayfield signed a three-year, $100 million deal in 2024 and followed it with career highs of 4,500 passing yards, 41 passing touchdowns and a 71.4 completion percentage, helping lift the Buccaneers back into the playoffs in 2023 and win a postseason game after Tom Brady retired.
But the team’s momentum stalled in 2025. Tampa Bay finished 8-9, lost four of its final five games and saw its run of five straight playoff appearances end. The Buccaneers also watched Mike Evans leave for San Francisco in free agency for less money than Tampa offered, a loss that changes the shape of the receiving group in front of Mayfield.
The roster still gives him options. Chris Godwin returns, along with Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson, and the Buccaneers added Ted Hurst in the third round. Mayfield said Godwin will have a chance to step up in Evans’ absence, calling it a chance for him to take charge of that room.
Mayfield did not try to soften the message. He said he wants to stay in Tampa long term, but that is not where the talks stand now. The next deadline is the start of training camp, and after that the Bucs and their quarterback will have to play the season with the same contract question still hanging in the background.
