No Hostility
September 8th, 2026
Bucs GM Jason Licht.
A lot of times when there is an impasse in contract negotiations with high-profile players, it can get testy, nasty, ugly.
Some may even say hostile.
That never happened between Baker Mayfield and the Bucs. The Bucs and Mayfield came to an agreement today on a three-year contract extension worth $165 million to carry Mayfield through the 2029 season.
Previously, Mayfield had said for months his deadline was July 29 — the start of training camp. If the Bucs didn’t meet his demands by then, they would have to wait until after the season.
Even though Mayfield said this, he admitted if the two sides talked, he was not going to be involved in it as he wanted to focus on football.
The deadline came and went but that didn’t prevent Mayfield’s camp from talking to Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht and Bucs capologist/assistant general manager Mike Greenberg.
And then, voila! Both parties found a way, as Albert Breer of SI.com twittered.
Albert Breer: The Bucs reached back out to Baker Mayfield’s camp late last week—knowing the sides weren’t far off when talks broke off. Mayfield agreed to try again, and the team added a year to its offer.
Things were always amicable, even if Baker was … pretty straight-forward publicly.
Joe always goes back to the final worthless preseason game when the voice of Bucs preseason telecasts, Chris Myers, asked Licht how confident he was that he could get a deal done with Mayfield.
Licht, who is not a good poker player, reacted almost in horror. The look on Licht’s face to the question was like Licht was thinking, “Chris, are you out of your mind, what are you talking about?”
Joe knew right there the Bucs were probably going to get a deal done with Mayfield sooner than later.
Baker Mayfield keeps cooking 👨🍳@Buccaneers | #WeAreTheKrewe pic.twitter.com/7HnHFTwk5o
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) September 8, 2026
September 8th, 2026 at 7:11 pm
Oooooh some people on here gonna be pissed, knowing that Trask was still available!
September 8th, 2026 at 7:15 pm
Who is really surprised that this happened?
September 8th, 2026 at 7:25 pm
Yes I know me and I am sure many others predicted this. Adding another year was a no brainer. I am also sure they can restructure as needed later So other players the Bucs wish to keep can be attained. I think this was absolutely necessary to get done now. Hats off to Licht and the Bucs.
September 8th, 2026 at 7:26 pm
Spotrac evaluations of Baker Mayfield extension were:
3 years $165 million
4 years $214 million
I said if Mayfield take another snap without a new deal
Then he need his head examined
The NFL is a very, very profitable enterprise
Teams are now valued at over $10 billion
Even Roger Goodell just signed another 4 year extension
It’s probably in the $300 million range
Even Edge Rushers are making $50 million a year
I’m glad it’s done, now we can focus on getting 12 wins this season
September 8th, 2026 at 7:29 pm
KIDFLOFLO- 😂 😂
I fully expect to see this offense rolling!! Here’s to health 🍻
September 8th, 2026 at 7:32 pm
I believe Jason Licht been wanted to extend Baker Mayfield
But, he had to wait on the Glazer’s approval
September 8th, 2026 at 7:38 pm
Millions is aoy of dough. TO hit the field and run qround. I WIULD GET RID OF HIM AND SEND IN DANILS. BAKEFIELD IS not worth it/…He wi;; ;ose to the Bengals/
September 8th, 2026 at 7:40 pm
Here comes the Sunday Collapse/ Bowles will send em out flat as a pancake. 1st of many losses.
September 8th, 2026 at 7:42 pm
Bengals by 8.
September 8th, 2026 at 7:55 pm
Apparently Baker’s deadline worked like the expiration date on mustard — mostly a suggestion.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:02 pm
Really the Bucs had no other option after the Giants extended Winston a couple of days ago. That was clearly their plan for 2027, but hopefully this works out.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:02 pm
Hostility?? Why would there be any hostility? The Bucs resurrected Baker’s career. The gave him an opportunity when no one else would. Then rewarded him with a very nice 3 yr 100 million contract. Now they are rewarding him by paying him top dollar and securing his family’s future and his kids kids future.
Why would anyone have any hostility??
September 8th, 2026 at 8:09 pm
Hostility… Baker played so poorly last year he cost the team the playoffs, got the entire offensive staff fired, and caused future HOF’er to flee the team to the other cost to get as far from Baker as possible… and Baker is upset because he had to wait a few weeks to get paid?
Amazing spin.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:17 pm
The NFL is a business. That said there is something about a team that has players who love the game of football. The Bucs are not the only team that has players like that.
Go Bucs!
September 8th, 2026 at 8:21 pm
Unless Mayfield is an idiot, he has secured his family financially for so many generations to come.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:26 pm
Sunday can’t get here fast enough.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:32 pm
It’s seems strange to see QBs making such ridiculous sums, but there’s actually another way to look at it.
Baker’s been our starting QB since the start of the 2023 season. That year he made $4 mi. Did well enough to earn a 3-year, $100 mil contract going thru 2026. Now has a 3-year contract to go thru 2029 for $165 mil. That totals $269 mil for 7 years of being our starting QB.
So what’s that average out to? Didn’t take much math to figure out that comes out to a salary of roughly $28.5 mil in 2023 inflated at a 10% rate over that 7-year period (the salary CAP has been rising at about a 10% rate).
So another way to look at it is that Baker’s average salary since he’s been here has been $28.5 mil per year adjusted for inflation (thru 2027). That’s just about HALF of the $55 mil so many of us were gagging on. Heck, that may even make him a steal compared to the others in that $55 mil/year club. I feel sooo much better now. Ya right.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:37 pm
Alvin Scissors Harper Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 8:21 pm
Unless Mayfield is an idiot, he has secured his family financially for so many generations to come.
———
Unless he’s an idiot, he did that the day he was drafted, got a $24M signing bonus and was guaranteed $33M.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:43 pm
Defense Rules Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 8:32 pm
It’s seems strange to see QBs making such ridiculous sums, but there’s actually another way to look at it.
———-
I have no issues with paying top QBs. The issue is Baker has not played like a top QB.
But, hopefully it works out. If not the Bucs are screwed, because if he has another terrible year like last year, what top coaching prospect is going to want to come here and be stuck with a guy who just got his offensive staff fired in 2025, then everyone fired in 2026?
Anywho, makes no sense to me to reward his play from last year – but it’s done, so let’s hope for the best.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:44 pm
I like Baker – he has moxie – Jason Licht on the other hand is a not-ROH-worthy Fred-Flintstone-lookalike Joe-Biden-IQ weasel – look at his history – when he got here he thought comedy-show Josh McCown was the answer and also that the Bucs “like Mike Glennon. We want him to be a part of the future. We like Mike Glennon a lot.’’ Obviously not learning a d&$n thing he then chooses Jameis # 1 in 2015 – after the 30-30 fiasco Arians and Licht are drowning their sorrows in bourbon when Brady takes pity on them and resurrects what had been a doormat franchise – two great years – then we inherit HC Bowles – after McCown Glennon Fitzpatrick Winston we are supposed to trust Licht for the next four years ? which means we are gonna have Bowles for four more seasons too – a Bucs start of 4-0 would convince me – let’s see what happens in CIN
September 8th, 2026 at 9:10 pm
Rod … Seems to me that Baker has spent his career trying to prove to people that his winning the Heisman AND being drafted #1 was no fluke. That he really is a top QB, if not THE top QB. He constantly bet on himself, but it didn’t REALLY pay off for him until right now. This latest contract puts him in the same world as those others making top $$$ (and lends an air of ‘legitimacy’?).
I’m convinced that Baker is an overall ‘very good’ QB who borders on ‘great’ once in awhile, but not consistently. He also though borders on ‘horrific’ once in awhile, but again, not consistently.
And THAT’s the problem I see with Baker … his inconsistency. With a great team around him, they can make up for some of that inconsistency, and potentially enough to even win a Super Bowl (hey, Trent Dilfer won one, why not Baker?). Problem is that paying 1 player 20% of your salary CAP makes it much harder to really build that fantastic team to compete for the Super Bowl.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:20 pm
No hostility needed. Licht pays players sticker price plus…except when he pinched Dean last season. No more wiggle room now…this all but guarantees his continued employment. Not sure how I feel about all of it.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:23 pm
Defense Rules – I would say Baker is more of a middling QB who can play ‘great’ once in a while, and ‘pretty good’ at other times, but also has a lot of duds. Inconsistency is a huge problem for him, obviously, but I guess you roll the dice and just hope for the best. In fairness to Baker, if he got on a hot streak at the right time, he is a guy who could do a lot of damage in the playoffs.
For money, in a couple of years, the contract will be pretty middle of the road – although we do still need to see details and how they got this deal done. As I wrote in other threads, I think part of getting this done is freeing up money for next year, to hopefully resign Yaya and Cody – at least if that happens, I could understand acting now, even if I’m not personally a fan of the deal.
If Baker can stay “healthy” and the Bucs win, then this will look like a great deal – so I hope that happens.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:41 pm
Licht is a master negotiator. Just because he compromises doesn’t mean he is not one of the best.
Don’t hate me but letting Evans go was probably for the best. It was clear Evans had no faith in Bowles. Evans saw numerous big time games the Bucs fight back to take a late fourth quarter comeback just to see Bowle’s defense make stars of the other team’s QB. Some hard ones that burns in my mind and prolly his – Commanders playoff, Atlanta week 15 we had two TD lead, Atlanta Week 3 in 2024, Weeks 9 at KC in 2024, Rookie CJ Stround Houston game 2023, Rams 2022 playoff breaking Brady’s heart in a record breaking year at 44.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:52 pm
BUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRNNNNNNN!!!!!
CRY BISHES! CRY!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!