“He’s Not Scared Of The Franchise Tag”
July 26th, 2026
The latest.
Full disclosure: The Joe typing here for months has been rigid on this subject: Let’s see how Baker Mayfield bounces back from his bipolar, injury-riddled 2025 season before putting a new contract in front of him.
Before the bye, Mayfield was absolutely lights out. Maybe a top-five quarterback in the league. MVP chatter — even from the pride of Eastern Illinois University Tony Romo — was legitimate.
Then came the bye.
Mayfield was beat up and his play fell off the map. The Bucs went 2-7 down the stretch and blew their playoff chances, gagging against Carolina on the road and the tanking Dolphins and rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers in just his second NFL start.
Mayfield is 31. As Phil Simms used to say, quarterbacks on the wrong side of 30 generally don’t get quicker, stronger or healthier. (Keyword: generally.)
So the Joe typing here never understood the rush to sign Mayfield, as he still is under contract for the 2026 season. That doesn’t mean you don’t like him. That doesn’t mean you don’t respect him. It just means you are CYA’ing yourself in case the hurt-Mayfield becomes more of the norm than an outlier.
Rushing to re-up Mayfield and he continues to get blown up and his play suffers, then the Bucs are really screwed.
And in the worst-case scenario, the hurt-Mayfield becomes the norm, you have what is expected to be a rich quarterback draft coming in April to fall back on.
Besides, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has the franchise tag in his back pocket. And now we learned today from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN that Mayfield isn’t frightened by getting tagged.
“Also, Mayfield, he’s not scared of the franchise tag,” Fowler said. “Like if he were to play this out and they were to tag him and be around $47, $48 million dollars in 2027. That could be a route.
“This is a guy who’s bet on himself before. He’s not afraid to now.”
So this Joe doesn’t see this national emergency the Bucs must get a deal done with Mayfield before the Bucs walk onto the practice fields of One Buc Palace on Wednesday morning for the start of training camp.
Mayfield is on record several times saying how much he wants to stay with the Bucs and how much he enjoys living in Tampa. The Bucs, both on and off the record for months, have stated how much they want Mayfield to be their quarterback for the foreseeable future.
So if both sides are genuine — and Joe believes they very much are — then what’s the rush? Fowler said Mayfield is not scared to bank on himself.
OK then, if 2026 is another prove-it year for Mayfield, then prove it! What exactly is the problem with that? Joe is very confident if Mayfield blossoms this year into a top-five quarterback, like the way he played before the bye last season, and the Bucs go on a postseason run, Team Glazer and Licht would have no issue paying a top-shelf quarterback top-shelf market loot.
July 26th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
Agreed. Everyone keeps saying “if he has a good year, he’ll cost so much much more!”
By the sound of it, he’s already asking for top dollar and not offering the Bucs any sort of home town discount. So why rush it?
July 26th, 2026 at 12:51 pm
The Bucs are gonna pull a Doug Williams if they don’t watch out. For all of Bakers faults he’s good enough to win a Super Bowl, and if they let him walk out the door they’ll never replace him.
July 26th, 2026 at 12:58 pm
Get rid of all of the outside noise.
Sign him.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Grizzard was dissected as soon as good defensive coordinators had bye weeks. Injuries or not we had the most predictable offense of almost all time. Could look at where on the field, down, and distance and you could call exactly what they were going to do 99% of the time. Offense couldn’t or barely break 20 points 10 of the last 13 games is proof in that pudding. Someone would break a 20 yard run and then not get the ball for the rest of the game. Thank goodness that experiment is over. Onto bigger and better things for the offense this year. We have the pieces…Just need a non high school level coordinator to call ths games.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
Phil Simms played in a different time. Quarterbacks ARE getting better with age these days.
But, aside from that, an announcement is coming very, very soon.
HeartyDickerson Says:
“By the sound of it, he’s already asking for top dollar and not offering the Bucs any sort of home town discount.”
Those are all unsourced assumptions…so take them with a grain of salt.
He’s getting his contract. Soon. It’s a sure thing.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
The issue with wait and see is that you may end up paying $60M/year for a QB you could’ve had for $50M/year. Everyone loves the guy. Sign him.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Baker knows it’s a can’t lose situation for him unless he gets hurt or fails to deliver. IF, the big IF, the o-line and team in general stay relatively healthy all year they should win more than 10 games this year. Then all is right in Mudville and he’s signed to a larger contract cause he proved his worth with a healthy team around him. I think it’s more than Baker being signed and the team showing him love. I think JL is hedging because he doesn’t know what will happen. If the team craps the bed, they get rid of TB and does the new regime want Baker back? It goes beyond Bakers play to some extent, maybe more than we know. If that’s been made clear to Mayfield then I’m sure he’s adult enough to understand it’s not all against him and his ability. And there is the franchise tag and why should Baker be worried about that, it’s guaranteed money. At some point I’m sure he has probably looked at the money he has made and will make and realize he’s not hurting financially.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:25 pm
Did baker Mayfield tell Jeremy Fowler that he is not afraid of the franchise tag or is Fowler assuming he’s not? When he bet on himself in college it was switching schools to get the opportunity to play. Millions of dollars weren’t on the line. When he signed with the Bucs in’2023, he pretty much had very few options. So where is this history of betting on himself when there’s big cash on the line. Yes Baker is confident in his abilities, but he’s not stupid!
July 26th, 2026 at 1:25 pm
Bonzai how do you know that? That’s great news if true!
July 26th, 2026 at 1:35 pm
How many QBs have won the Super Bowl being paid in the top 10 are not top 5 QBs?
Time to draft a QB in round 1 no matter what.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
No athlete wants to play put the final year of their contract without a new deal in place.
If, heaven forbid, the athlete suffers a career-ending injury in a contract year, that is the last year they will be earning millions from professional sports.
If they have years of guaranteed money left, they still make money even they can’t play.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:52 pm
Mayfield will follow Kirk Cousins approach…get tagged 2x, then get paid guaranteed chunks moving forward every two years. He’s going to squeeze as much as possible from teams as he’s seen it’s a business with Cleveland, Carolina, now Tampa. There’s no loyalty to any player, he’s not naive to think he’s an exception. Bucs will either get it right or risk another lost decade which could push fans over to the Rays new stadium or possibly the Bulls.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:57 pm
Oh the just draft a qb in the first round crowd are so annoying
If it’s that easy wouldn’t every team just do that. I remember recently the cardinals drafting Rosen in the top ten. The next year they drafted Murray number one overall. Rosen has been out of the league for 6 years and Murray was just cut leaving lots of dead money. Look at our last two first round qbs Winston and Josh freeman how did that work out. I hat about are 2nd rounder also in that mix. Hell our qb now is a first overall pick that you want to dump. Ask the Vikings how they did getting rid of there decent journeyman qb who was on the panthers with baker and sucked there also. To draft a first rounder in McCarthy. And now there trying out the cardinals miss on a first overall pick in Murray. Panthers have a 1st overall pick playing out his contract. Bet you would t trade baker straight up for Bryce young.
July 26th, 2026 at 1:58 pm
How soon are we talking here, Bonzai? Today? Tomorrow? Before camp starts?
July 26th, 2026 at 2:02 pm
Hopefully next week at this time we’re talking football instead of Bakers contract. I will say, paying for anything before you have to makes no sense. Even if you might save a few pennies down the road. I’d rather find out I have to pay more for an MVP QB, then pay now for a want to be one, or half the season one. Let Baker show us which one he is, then pay him.
July 26th, 2026 at 2:07 pm
Career earnings of $132,000,000. 2 playoffs wins. Whatever they want to do, it is all insane.
July 26th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
Again, how will the Bucs deal with the cap issue a tag creates next season? He is already owed $30 million in dead cap money next year. That’s on top of the $47-48 million tag. You can’t spread that out over other years that aren’t in his contract.
A tag doesn’t fix that problem. You can definitely forget about re-signing all of Mauch, Vea, Diaby and McLaughlin. No amount of sensible contract void year manipulation will solve that problem when nearly $80 million is tied up on just your QB in 2027. It definitely would mean Godwin’s prospects of being on the team in 2027 would be bleak – even if he has a stellar season this year.
July 26th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
I made almost this exact comment about Baker a few days ago. Probably the first time I’ve seen something coming on JBF!
July 26th, 2026 at 2:10 pm
Baker carr is worth at least 3 million and thats being to generous
July 26th, 2026 at 2:14 pm
Well written, Joe, and I agree, but neither of us is a Glazer.
July 26th, 2026 at 2:17 pm
I predict Baker has his best year yet. For many reasons.
New, competent OC, new QB coach, young recievers on the rise, great receiving backs, healthy O-line…and nobody demanding x number of targets for his stats/legacy. AND because it’s a prove it year – contract or no contract.
If the Bucs don’t sign him this year he’s going to cost more, possibly a lot more.
July 26th, 2026 at 2:18 pm
What we really need is 500 more articles about the same thing over and over and over.
That should lead to multiple SB appearances and boat parades for the next decade.
If the contract isn’t a big deal then stop talking about it.
Perhaps we could spend more time on the side of the ball that seems to be the sink hole of this team.
Even Tom Brady couldn’t overcome that grand canyon sized pit of despair.
July 26th, 2026 at 2:19 pm
Kind of tired of hearing the lame argument about a new regime perhaps not wanting Baker back? Who will they want? Some unproven mid to late first round rookie pick? Seems like a lock down corner would make far more sense and have better odds of producing. Can’t see any new head coach wanting to go with a totally unproven prospect to be named later over Baker Mayfield. Not one who is worried about keeping his job, that is.
July 26th, 2026 at 2:30 pm
There is no tag in anyone’s pocket with the amount of deferred salary on the books already.
July 26th, 2026 at 2:30 pm
the idea that yet again baker has to prove something to JL and bucs management is just a talking point of bucs management. if you can extend todd bowles for no apparent reason why cant you extend or get a new deal done for baker?
how come bowles doesnt have a prove it deal?
July 26th, 2026 at 2:53 pm
Yeah, lol, its all Baker’s fault he couldnt tackle Quinn Ewers….LOL, youre killing me!
July 26th, 2026 at 2:57 pm
Lamar hasn’t signed a new one…🤔
July 26th, 2026 at 3:09 pm
Good thing BSPN feels the same way, huh?
July 26th, 2026 at 3:40 pm
I agree with you for many of the same reasons, Simple T. With the full starting offensive line, Baker will have all the time he needs to find someone open and all our timing plays will be available again.
July 26th, 2026 at 3:50 pm
We will be much better this year. Last year our offensive coordinator SUCKED. Not his fault just poor management by the front office. Last year our defensive coordinator SUCKED. Completely his fault, he was stubborn and fatally slow to identify much less make necessary changes, he needed someone upstairs to manage the game clock for crying out loud. This year the draft helped us plus we brought in some talented folks who should also help the culture, which SUCKED and is completely the front office’s fault. We are also getting some players back from injury that are effectively like extra draft picks. If one or two of those things were happening we’d be better but that is a LOT of things going on the right direction as long as he leans into the team’s strengths (offense) and doesn’t crack up under pressure managing the play clock and when to go for it. Given the above I’m very optimistic
July 26th, 2026 at 3:52 pm
This is the issue: Wait or franchise tag him and some other team will step up to compete or over pay for his services. So, if you want him, now it will cost significantly more. If you are convinced he is your guy for the next 3 or 4 years then you don’t want to wait. You can negotiate a better team friendly contract before this season starts. That’s the gamble. Other than that you are spending future draft picks to move up in 2027 or 2028 for an unproven commodity.
(Like JMiss)…. OR… it’s back to the lost decade with the likes of Geno Smith or some other loser collecting a check and not caring. Until you can show me a better option, I’m going with Baker.
July 26th, 2026 at 3:55 pm
Stpetematt, I don’t have a sourse, just common sense. We know the Bucs already made at least one offer. Now it’s just a matter of seeing if it can go higher for Baker. But, if it can’t, he’ll take the best offer her can get from them.
I believe it’s less about the money and more about the number of guaranteed years given that a regime change is likely coming.
A new coach would probably want to keep him, but it’s not a certainty. So Bake just wants to protect himself.
July 26th, 2026 at 3:57 pm
Hey Joe, why would you expect injured Baker to become the norm? Baker was without 40-80% of his offensive line down that entire stretch of 2-7 games. That’s right about where we lost Bredeson and massive pressure up the middle became even worse. So it was a very atypical year, and not something we should expect. As I’ve mentioned before, Brady himself would have gotten killed behind that line. Few but the most mobile QB’s would be able to function at *all*.
July 26th, 2026 at 4:05 pm
Fiddle now snivel later. Sign the man. 200 for 4, if he accepts. Done. Next up
July 26th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
Unfortunately, by this time next year, $50M will NOT be considered ‘top-dollar’… more like mid-pack for experienced QBs. And ‘top-dollar’ will be in the $60-$65M range… which Baker will likely get unless he completely loses it this season. Not likely.
Like the Fram oil filter guys used to say: ‘You can pay me now, or you can pay me later’.
OF COURSE Baker is not afraid of the Franchise tag… he’ll get about 48M plus the 30M outstanding (78M for 1 year) and the opportunity to get $60M plus in 2028.
I realize this is ‘monopoly money’ for most of us – we cannot even imagine anyone being worth these kinds of numbers. But that is a fact of the NFL these days.
July 26th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
According to #$$$ posted by View from 132 Baker is over paid compared to what he’s really done in the NFL 😅🤣😂