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
July 11th, 2026 at 8:37 pm
@BoriMex
Mayfield was not here in 2022 so he does not have three straight NFC South titles. 2-7 down the stretch = No playoffs.
And I’m really tired of hearing about Baker’s “intangibles”. What we need is wins.
He’s 2-11 in prime time and playoffs. Not worth $50+ mil a year.
Unfortunately the Glazer kids will probably give him a ridiculous contract.
The Pom Pom waiving when that happens will create strong enough winds to solve the world’s energy crisis.
🤡🤣🤡🤣🤡🤣
July 11th, 2026 at 8:37 pm
It’s funny how the players who spent time with Baker always say he is upper talent. They never say, yeah he’s middling. Only the idiots say that. You know the people that never played and haven’t a clue about talent. What a joke. Oh, and those that are afraid to put their money where their mouth is.
July 11th, 2026 at 8:52 pm
Pay him
July 11th, 2026 at 8:53 pm
When I posted here, that I believed Mayfield was planning on leaving Tampa after this season, no one else thought that was true.
That was almost 4 months ago. If memory serves me.
Starting to believe me now?
Like Mike Evans, I think Baker watched this defense last year, and realized this team wasn’t a contender. Weak at every level of the defense- and lost all faith in this teams coaching.
Sorta same place I’m at.
Money may end up keeping him here. But I believe that Mayfirld has lost all faith in the front office, coaching, and player talent/Effort on this team. I think he’s planning to go to a contender as soon as he can.
And that would be his smart move.
July 11th, 2026 at 9:03 pm
“3.28.Evans Says:
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.
Gotti-Dog-05-20-84 Says:
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
LynchMob50 Says:
July 11th, 2026 at 8:37 pm
@BoriMex
Mayfield was not here in 2022 so he does not have three straight NFC South titles. 2-7 down the stretch = No playoffs.
And I’m really tired of hearing about Baker’s “intangibles”. What we need is wins.
He’s 2-11 in prime time and playoffs. Not worth $50+ mil a year.
Unfortunately the Glazer kids will probably give him a ridiculous contract.
The Pom Pom waiving when that happens will create strong enough winds to solve the world’s energy crisis.”
3 posts, ONE guy
July 11th, 2026 at 9:16 pm
What was Mayfield’s playoff pass completion percentage last year???
Oops. Never mind. 🤣🤡🤣🤡🤣🤡🤣🤡🤣🤡
July 11th, 2026 at 9:25 pm
Any other division and the Bucs are basement dwellers, the South has been bad since Brees n Ryan got old and retired, winning on the last weekend one year, and needed to win 6 straight against bad teams to make it to 10-7 (we were 4-7 at one point) just like blindly ignoring the competition the 1st 3 games in 2025 and anointing Baker as an MVP candidate after barely beating the Falcons Texans and the freaking Jets, he’s not a top 10 QB, he lucked into a good offensive ecosystem, 3 years at $45 per with $100 guaranteed is his value, anything more is overpaying for an average QB
July 11th, 2026 at 9:31 pm
LynchMob50. You know what’s fun to do? In 3 years in Tampa, Mayfield has played in 3 playoff games. He’s thrown 8 TD passes in those 3 playoff appearances. Pull those highlights up of those 8 TD passes. That’s really fun. And during those 3 years he’s thrown 95 TD passes. It’s really, really fun watching those 95, too. Thats 103 really cool football plays to watch. It’s Saturday night, man. Have you some fun. You’re worth it!
July 11th, 2026 at 9:33 pm
Lynchmob 50,
You know how many teams started 2 rookie WRs? Yeah. Just the Bucs.
You don’t win starting Rookies. You have to be a sad team to start 2 rookies at one position.
Add in two terrible Backups starting a both guard positions,
And you would have be totally clueless about football, to think any QB could win with that trash. Most wouldn’t try, and would claim they pulled a hamstring.
Anything to stay outta that mess.
July 11th, 2026 at 9:43 pm
Baker lost two of those three playoff games.
And missed it all together last year.
But sure, give him Mahomes money.
Tard nuggets.
July 11th, 2026 at 9:49 pm
Tard nuggets aren’t bad with enough buffalo sauce.
July 11th, 2026 at 10:03 pm
Well, well well —— Mike Evans said good things about every QB he played with in his Buc’s careers. 99% of NFL guys say good things about the guys they played with… So, not surprising you’ve heard only good things from ex teammates.
Kenton — I have no problem with Baker. But to be honest they are rating the top 100 players in the NFL right now. Your grading of “elite” is different than mine.
The ratings are based upon NFL players and there is likely to be 12 to 13 QB’s rated ahead of him on the NFL list of top QBs this year.
July 11th, 2026 at 10:43 pm
I look at it this way. Baker is the only quarterback that has ever lead the Browns to a playoff win, let alone the playoffs. There has been probably 40 quarterbacks that went through there and none of them did what Baker did. Also, he would be the first buc in what 50 some odd years as quarterback to have his contract renewed. Pay the man. I like his moxie and his leadership. He has gonads. He is surely as good as the qbs getting low 50’s.
July 11th, 2026 at 10:57 pm
Chant you need to buy yourself a clue.
Joe Flacco lead them to the playoffs in 2024.
And they’ve been to the playoffs and won several games way before Baker was drafted.
To say Baker is the only QB to get them to the playoffs is one of the dumbest statements I’ve heard from the Pom Pom squad.
Stick to watching cartoon porn in moms basement.
July 11th, 2026 at 11:10 pm
@LynchMob50
If my pom-poms can solve the world’s energy crisis, I expect my electric bill to go down the day Baker signs.
July 11th, 2026 at 11:11 pm
“Beeej Says:
July 11th, 2026 at 9:03 pm
3 posts, ONE guy”
I can’t speak for the other two but I assure you I’m not them…..nice try tho
July 12th, 2026 at 5:30 am
Baker, stick to your deadline, July 29th. How many more Baker contract articles till than? Joe do a poll.
July 12th, 2026 at 7:23 am
Hodad, there’s a pattern to these things. We need the “why did Mike Evans leave” article first. Then the Baker article.
July 12th, 2026 at 7:25 am
Beeej Says:
3 posts, ONE guy
———————————————————
I don’t believe Gotti-Dog-05-20-84 is related.
So, instead of 3 posts, ONE guy, I’d say: 2 posts, ONE guy, ONE sock puppet.
July 12th, 2026 at 7:36 am
No discount Baker!
The Bucs have ALREADY banked the discount for having you as their starting quarterback.
Don’t fool yourself into believing anything other than top QB money!
July 12th, 2026 at 8:13 am
The sad truth is that $50-55 million is the going tate for a franchise QB. Baker is sometimes outstanding. Other times not so much. He firmly fits in with most of the other $50+ million quarterbacks, but he isn’t quite top 5. More like top 7 or 8. Some of those top-heavy teams contend anyway. They like to talk about a Super Bowl window where you can go all in for 2 or 3 years and then trudge through a few years of cap purgatory. As we all know his 2026 salary is “only” $40 million. As far as quarterbacks on that top 10 list go Baker fits in somewhere. Is he really the long term answer? Maybe. Maybe not. It’s an unforgiving business. You’re only as good as your last few games. Those last few were kinda iffy. Mind you that’s not all on Baker. That entire team simply quit down the stretch. I put that more on the coaches than Baker. I honestly do not understand why Bowles is still here. But he is still here and I’ve just got to hope for the best. Bowles or no Bowles we made huge improvements to our front 7 on defense. We probably got weaker in the secondary. I suppose the glass is half full. I’m pretty sure Gainwell will be better than White on offense. The Oline will be back…I think. I think Hurst will be better than an aging Mike Evans was. Special teams is simply bound to be vastly improved from that absolute dumpster fire we had last year. I’m not 100% sold on Zac Robinson, but I’m sure he will be better than Grizz. That guy was just out of his depth. We won 8 games last year. This year I see 10. That’s not pom pom waving. Special teams alone would get an extra game. I really don’t see as much improvement in the rest of the division.
July 12th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Pay him now
July 12th, 2026 at 9:15 am
Yes im feeling troll like today!!
.I say the whole team sucks !from coaches to the front office sh!? Throw in the dudes that pick up the garbage at one buc place/ palace?? hell the only thing i know is betting on the past works. that is what makes my decision.. that’s why my life is miserable, I wouldn’t give Mayfield a dime! There’s plenty of qb,s out there who can step up, convert a 3rd and forever to a banged up Diva thats just as old and has turned to glass talking about cross town traffic..Now I feel better
July 12th, 2026 at 9:18 am
Until yesterday afternoon when I watched snippets of the 2026 American Century Championship, I had no idea that Baker Mayfield played golf left-handed.
July 12th, 2026 at 10:05 am
28-26
July 12th, 2026 at 10:52 am
Nice! Ken…
July 12th, 2026 at 1:59 pm
À Kirk Cousins deal. Fully guaranteed.
5 years. 200 million. Fully guaranteed. 100 million signing bonus.
Let Baker retire à Bucs legend.
July 12th, 2026 at 3:52 pm
Capt.Tim said “I think [Baker]’s planning to go to a contender as soon as he can.”
I don’t see any team even close to being a contender that doesn’t already have a QB firmly locked into place. Maybe the Vikings if Murray doesn’t pan out.
Sure don’t see Baker moving the family that really likes warm, sunny Florida to the arctic Tundra.
July 12th, 2026 at 4:09 pm
I don’t see why only Baker is supposed to want a below-market salary so that the team can have cap room to overpay a bunch of other guys. The Brady comparison is absurd: Brady was on a lark against Belichick; more important, he had more money than he knew what to do with. And with the Bucs he failed to win a Super Bowl more years than not.
July 12th, 2026 at 6:29 pm
The comments on this topic always make me laugh. We know NOTHING about what has been proposed, NOTHING about running an NFL franchise etc etc etc.
Here is what I do know:
*Baker has played really well at times for the Bucs, MVP level.
*Baker has played really poorly at times for the Bucs, bottom 25%.
*The going rate for a QB with his numbers is around $50M/year.
*The CAP is projected to go up as much as $25.8m in 2027and $32m in 2028.
*Most teams will apply some of that CAP increase to their QB.
*For all the talk about continuity for a QB, Baker has NEVER had the same OC two seasons in a row.
Here are some things I believe to be true, but just an opinion.
*Todd is very below ave HC. His stats as a D ‘guru’ on that side of the ball suck.
*Injuries play a role with every team, and the Bucs were hit harder than most.
*The 2025 OC was in way over his head.
With all that said, the only contract numbers that mean anything are the ones both sides can agree on, and I have no clue what that is. I like Baker. I would like to see him extended. But this is an entertainment business that just happens to be a sport, lest we forget.
July 12th, 2026 at 7:10 pm
“BucsFanSince1996 Says:
July 12th, 2026 at 7:25 am
Beeej Says:
3 posts, ONE guy
———————————————————
I don’t believe Gotti-Dog-05-20-84 is related.
So, instead of 3 posts, ONE guy, I’d say: 2 posts, ONE guy, ONE sock puppet.”
You guys are funny. You’re right tho…I’m not related to anyone here….