Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers Future Is Finally Settled After a Wild Offseason

Baker Mayfield’s situation with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is settled after a volatile offseason. The quarterback had been on a short, prove-it contract—one year, $4 million—starting three seasons ago. As Tampa Bay reached the 2026 season, the team faced a decision on extending QB1 or letting him test free agency again, and contract talks became tense. Mayfield even said he felt disrespected, amid reports that Vita Vea wanted out. Training camp opened with Mayfield airing frustrations, but the standoff is now over: hours before the Bucs kick off the 2026 season, he agreed to a three-year, $165 million extension, reported by Adam Schefter. Tampa Bay reportedly never wanted to move on from him, and a prior restructure added neither new years nor money.