Buccaneers Weigh Mayfield Contract, Offensive Reinforcements
Mayfield's future hangs in the balance as the Buccaneers weigh contract decisions and offensive reinforcements. Does he stay in Tampa?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't know if Baker Mayfield will stay with the team beyond 2026, but general manager Jason Licht says all the Bucs' plans "revolve around Baker. " Mayfield is entering the last season of the three-year, $100 million deal that brought him to Tampa Bay, and his next contract could pay him $50-plus million a year. Mayfield led the Bucs to an NFC South title in 2024, followed by a 2025 season that started great for both Mayfield and the Bucs (6-2), but ended up being a disaster (2-7, no playoffs).
Licht was asked about Mayfield's future in an interview on "The Drive with TKras" show on Tuesday, and his response was what one would expect. "That's something that we'll get to at some point," Licht said. "I have had a lot of discussions with Baker about the team.
We texted during the draft after some of the picks. I know he was excited about the players that we took. We have a great relationship.
And listen, nobody here wants Baker to be playing for any other team, so I'll just leave it at that. " This interview took place three days after the Bucs wrapped up their 2026 draft. Although the team mainly focused on repairing a defense that finished 20th in the league in scoring in 2025, Tampa did add to the offense around Mayfield.