ESPN: No “Significant” Progress In Bucs-Baker Mayfield Talks
July 28th, 2026
Still looking for new pact.
Well, we know one guy in a contract hassle with the Bucs isn’t going to hold out. Or likely hold-in.
That would be Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. This, despite him and the Bucs not yet agreeing to a contract extension.
Mayfield is in the final year of his contract and he wants a new deal. The Bucs (smartly) don’t seem to be in a hurry.
Per Jenna Laine of ESPN, the Bucs and Mayfield have not made “significant” progress on an extension. She also reports Mayfield will still report to camp.
Previously, Mayfield has said once he reports to camp, that’s it! No more contract talk until after the season, a full-blown football 24/7/365 for Mayfield once he’s at One Buc Palace today.
Joe doesn’t believe it.
As Joe has typed previously, if the Bucs were to call the Mayfield camp and offer him what he wants, are we really to believe when Mayfield gets the call from his agent, Mayfield will scream, “I SAID WEDNESDAY! WEDNESDAY WAS THE DEADLINE. I’M NOT SIGNING A CONTRACT UNTIL JANUARY, MAYBE. WHAT PART OF ‘DEADLINE’ DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?”
Of course not.
Joe fully expects Mayfield to be your Bucs quarterback this season and in 2027.
July 28th, 2026 at 11:38 am
Back to the Tampa Bay Yucs
July 28th, 2026 at 11:41 am
He said what he said no matter what you say joe he said what he said people do some.crazy sh!t out of pride and spite.
July 28th, 2026 at 11:43 am
Brinks truck soon
Or
Run Baker Run !
Clown show š¤”
July 28th, 2026 at 11:49 am
With Evans leaving, now Vea wants out, JL cant afford to screw up this baker deal. If Baker plays this year and balls out, or even plays half decent, mark my words another desparate tean will pay him the money and Tampa will be caught with their pants down. JL has this formula that he thinks works for every player. QBs are different. You dont play with fire when it comes to a semi decent QB with great upside. If Baker leaves next offseason, I want JL fired along with Bowles. Ive seen enough and do not want to go back to 2010.
July 28th, 2026 at 11:58 am
Whatever. He’s under contract. Rather talk football than what, if, or when Baker gets a new deal.
July 28th, 2026 at 11:59 am
A lot of drama now surrounding camp. Don’t know if that is a good thing. Anyway if nothing else Baker will be Franchised. However. I suspect that Won’t happen.
I think Vea is a lot bigger issue because the defense really needs him. Smart on his agent to create drama now. Vea ‘s camp getting a ton of attention. The bottom line,. Vea deserves the extension and a pay raise. Yes currently he is under paid. This seems easy enough give him a year and a pay raise like David and others. Licht loves short term deals ask ME.
You need to pay Vea or let him go. Letting him go is probably not a wise move with a defense that has a lot of IFs at other positions. Pay Vea give him an extra year and get back on Baker. By the way they have to pay him too. Yep don’t let training camp turn into drama camp.
July 28th, 2026 at 11:59 am
Joe I couldn’t agree with you more. Money Talks. If anything Baker asking price will go up if he balls out this year(which I think he will). A deal will get done one way or another. Baker is in a good spot and him J. Licht relationship is solid.
July 28th, 2026 at 12:00 pm
I still trust Licht. They have the franchise tag for 2027 and can use it if necessary. I believe Baker will play for the tag if required. But if they do tag him, I think it will be temporary. They will come to a long-term deal before the beginning of training camp in 2027.
July 28th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
@ Ben – Except for another team not being able to just āPAY HIMā next yearā¦ Cause, the Bucs still have that pesky little Franchise Tag.
July 28th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£
I told you! No extention and no excuses this year for Baker. Hes gonna crash and burn under the pressure…like he always does. If he doesn’t absolutely shred this defense in TC its gonna be a long season for him.
July 28th, 2026 at 12:13 pm
the funny thing is, folks continue to say, IF baker balls out the price goes up but they fail to mention the other side of the coin lol….
what IF baker has another injury riddled year behind a healthy oline and above average defense…what if we win 8games again and baker is beat up at the end of the season….the price aint reaching 50mil lol…
Vita should be paid…baker has to prove himself
GO BUCS!!!!
July 28th, 2026 at 12:15 pm
813
A man of culture making sense again. Baker fans are betting on him to do what hes never done without showing an ounce of improvement anywhere in his game. Lol…some fans actually believe you can continue to do the same thing and get different results.
š¤£
5-12 season loading
July 28th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
I have no problem believing that Baker won’t talk/negotiate contract terms after his deadline. That’s not to say his agent won’t stay engaged, or that Baker won’t sign an acceptable agreement if it’s put in front of him. He’s just avoiding distraction, not trying to create pressure.
July 28th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
Yesterday the heat index was 110 in St Louis. Today the heat index is 20 degrees cooler, man, that makes this grandsonās baseball camp a whole lot more fun. For me anyway. The kids are eating lunch, and Iām following my favorite website.
āThe Bucs (smartly) donāt seem to be in a hurry.ā
And everything was going great, and Joe goes and says something like that. Thanks, Joe.
July 28th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
Dim Licht in the FO
July 28th, 2026 at 12:21 pm
If we have an āAVERAGEā defense, we WILL win the division assuming we have a ānormalā amount of injuries overallā¦
Hopefully we have some improved 2nd string guards this season as wellā¦.
LFG!!
So glad the season is almost upon us again šš»šš»šš»
July 28th, 2026 at 12:50 pm
That franchise tag would be 80 million dollars bucs have no leverage
July 28th, 2026 at 1:44 pm
After the way he choked a lot of 4th quarters away towards the end of the season this is the right call. Make him earn it
July 28th, 2026 at 2:22 pm
A morally bankrupt franchise like the Eagles just made Carter the highest paid DT in league history. Not sure what it has to do with this but it sure seems like one franchise has their eyes on winning while this one here in the bay is just content with mediocrity.
July 28th, 2026 at 2:23 pm
he can only hope they work out a trade to get him out of this sham of an organization with terrible fans, terrible coaching staff, terrible management, and terrible owners. There are some really good fans, but when the opposing team equals attendance of home team, this is a terrible fandom. I don’t think you see this in any other stadium in the NFL.
Tom Brady was solely responsible for winning the last Super Bowl, he brought all the missing pieces to the team, without him there would of been no SB winning team. Licht was a placeholder.
July 28th, 2026 at 3:27 pm
If either Baker or vea are not with bucs this year, we will definitely be not going anywhere this year. You might has well hit the reset button because theyāll be a new regime next year
July 28th, 2026 at 4:41 pm
Mismanagement. Licht is a moron. He is 100% responsible for this.
Vea is 31. Not 38. Baker is 31 years old.
They both have several good years left.
But Licht wants to nickel and dime them.
Now, one wants a trade, and the other will leave next year. And people think the franchise tag solves the Baker problem? Well guess what. He sign the damn thing on the day before the first regular season game.
Licht already lost Evans. Now heās going to lose Vea. And then Mayfield.
If I was Todd Bowles, Iād be heading to his office with a bat and some brass knuckles.