Former Baker Mayfield Bucs Teammate Talks “Honest Middle Ground” On QB Contract Extension
July 11th, 2026
Speaks out.
A guy who spent two years with Baker Mayfield in Tampa sees the Bucs’ franchise QB as someone who will accept less money than he’s worth.
Joe was very pleased to hear this.
Chase Edmonds was a veteran Bucs running back in 2023 and 2024; the latter season he was an injury casualty but stayed around the team.
Edmonds played for the Commanders last season and currently is looking for work. His future is in media, and he’s been seen on NFL Network and other outlets over the past two years.
This week, Edmonds was talking Mayfield on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Edmonds says Mayfield absolutely deserves top franchise quarterback money, but he suggested Mayfield knows that a $50 to $60 million annual conract will hurt his Super Bowl chances.
“I think knowing the type of player he is, the type of leader he is, I don’t know if that’s the number that he even wants to settle on because he knows, you know, when you settle in a number that high, bro, you take away some talent around the locker room because you can’t pay everybody when you’re paying your quarterback 55, you know, 50-ish million dollars a season,” Edmonds said. So, putting my GM hat on, I think what they’re trying to do — they’re probably trying to say, ‘Okay, Bake, how can we get to a number that is fair, that is deserving of you, of what you’ve done for us, but also it still gives us the capital to make sure that we surround you with a good team and a chance to actually win a Super Bowl.'”
It’s an important question — one addressed on the recent Ira Kaufman Podcast: Will Baker cut the Bucs a break on an annual salary and primarily look for guaranteed money versus the total annual number?
Edmonds emphasized Mayfield truly is deserving of top dollar because of how his talent and production meets a bunch of immeasurables.
“You talk about intangibles, you talk about leadership, you talk about just inspiring guys to want to play for you and play with you. That’s, that’s all what Baker Mayfield is, man,” Edmonds said. “He’s a great teammate, he’s a great guy. He is just a dude and a bro. So I do think they need to lock him up, but find an honest middle ground between each other. Like, ‘We can take care of you, but also give us some leeway so we can take care of the team as well.'”
Mayfield’s self-imposed contract extension deadline is July 29 — Day 1 of 2026 training camp. His current contract expires after this season.
Ira Kaufman Talks Different Baker Mayfield Contract Angle, Damning NFL Stat Reveal, Rueben Bain Rally, O-Line Date, And More
July 11th, 2026 at 5:31 pm
Sign him for $15M cash up front, $45M a year for 3 years, $5 million cash roster bonus annually with work out bonuses, playoff incentives, etc. Gets him into the $50M arena when all pots of monies are accounted for, but limits the cap hit…..cash is king and the cap will continue to grow.
July 11th, 2026 at 5:32 pm
🗑️ Can we finally recycle this conversation?
We already know Baker is getting paid.The only question is what the final structure looks like. Bake has thrown for over 9,000 yards and 69 TDs in two seasons, and reestablished himself as one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks. Now it’s just about finding the right number that rewards Baker while keeping enough talent around him to chase a Lombardi. That’s a win for everyone.
“Chase Edmonds has about as much insight into Baker’s contract talks as the rest of us, he just had a better parking spot.
🔥 LFG!
💰 Pay Bake Already!!
💍 Ring Me!!!
July 11th, 2026 at 5:35 pm
@ Anti-Pom Pom’s
* 3 seasons
* 51 regular-season starts
* 12,237 passing yards
* 95 passing touchdowns
* 37 interceptions
* Three straight NFC South titles
* Two Pro Bowl selections (2024 & 2025)
July 11th, 2026 at 5:42 pm
It’s ridiculous for Licht to continue to let this hang over the team’s heads. Everyone with stake knows the range. It would take 15 minutes to settle.
If they go into the season without this done, it will be all anyone will talk about. After every loss.
Bowles either is or should be on the hot seat. Licht will end up on the hot seat if he does not re-sign Baker and this season goes poorly. New HC will not necessarily like old GM. See Gruden v. McKay.
July 11th, 2026 at 5:42 pm
@Florida Girl
I like those numbers! Go ahead and call Thomas Mills and Jason Licht and let them know we have a deal. 😄
Also, correction on my earlier post, my fat fingers typed three straight division titles. I meant back-to-back. The rest of the résumé still stands.
🔥 LFG!!
July 11th, 2026 at 6:00 pm
Let’s hope for our teams sake it works out the Brady way. Make enough to live comfortably (like any of us would bitch about ONLY making $30 plus million). It seems like Baker wants to win and “As Seen On TV” last year, less talent equals to 2-7. As a fan of my beloved Buccaneers since day one back in 1976, it would be nice to have a Franchise QB stick around for a decade or so. We’ve had really good seasons at QB, and we’ve seen the actual G.O.A.T. not only play here as a retirement plan, but want, no, the need to win another championship, Wooooooo. Damn that was exciting, now I want more, a long term answer at QB and another title. Now I don’t thinks that’s to much to ask for considering we live in paradise. It’s up to Baker of course but bro, you’ll raise your children in paradise, living like a football God right here in beautiful Tampa for Life! Go Bucs let’s get this party started!!!
July 11th, 2026 at 6:23 pm
Sure. Let’s conveniently ignore last season, the 2-7 finish, and the prior year’s playoff gag, or the prior year’s late game interception to lose to the Lions. Give him one of Todd’s KitKats and tell him to play football in the clutch.
July 11th, 2026 at 6:29 pm
“FloridaGirl Says:
July 11th, 2026 at 5:31 pm
Sign him for $15M cash up front, $45M a year for 3 years, $5 million cash roster bonus annually with work out bonuses, playoff incentives, etc. Gets him into the $50M arena when all pots of monies are accounted for, but limits the cap hit…..cash is king and the cap will continue to grow.”
This proposal is highly viable, with one critical adjustment the front office would most likely make.
If the Bucs want to push the Year 1 cap hit even lower, they wouldn’t just do $45 million in straight base salary each year. They would minimize the Year 1 base salary down to the league minimum (around $1.2 million) and shift the rest into a guaranteed Option Bonus or add dummy Void Years to stretch that $15 million signing bonus over 5 years instead of 3.
The bonuses would hit the cap differently depending on if they were classified as “Likely To Be Earned” or “Not Likely To Be Earned”
Any NLTBE bonuses get pushed onto the cap the year AFTER they are earned. So that could be an advantage.
The question is: Would Mayfield accept a contract structured this way?
Tune in tomorrow…same Buc place….same Buc time…..same Buc channel