Don’t let the weather fool you — it’s not all sunshine and rainbows down on the Florida Gulf Coast.
Supposed franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield is apparently frustrated by the contract offers he’s received from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the two sides continue to work toward an extension.
“Disappointing in that regard to not have (an extension), to feel disrespected a little bit. And that’s really the disappointing part, to feel undervalued after. You know, thinking you’ve earned it,” Mayfield told reporters at training camp on Thursday.
“This is not a poor-me thing. There’s a lot of people that have it way worse off, but I can sit here and look at other quarterbacks and peers, and evaluate myself based on that and put myself in certain categories that I deserve to be compensated for that.
“And I think I’m a franchise quarterback. I’ve been told I’m the franchise quarterback; it’s been said publicly from ownership down here. And so to not have a deal done is very disappointing. But I said the deadline was a deadline.”
Mayfield is entering the final year of a three-year, $100-million deal with the Buccaneers signed ahead of the 2024 season, and will become an unrestricted free agent in the winter.
He initially joined the team in 2023 as a free agent on a one-year deal.
According to Mayfield, during these ongoing contract negotiations he set a deadline with the team so that he could focus solely on football once the deadline had passed, regardless of his contract situation.
“I wanted the deal done and set the deadline and told them it was gonna be all ball after that, and I did mean that,” Mayfield said. “And I don’t know if they thought I was just gonna take some of the offers that they gave, but I’m at the point of my career and understanding what I’ve brought to this franchise.”
In speaking with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Mayfield said that the Buccaneers offered him a two-year deal, but the QB wanted more of a long-term commitment. He added that Tampa was far from offering him $50 million.
The 31-year-old is entering his ninth year in the NFL since being drafted first overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2018.
Mayfield has had the best run of his career since heading to Tampa, throwing for over 4,000 yards in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024, and tossing a career-best 41 touchdowns in the latter campaign.
Though he and the Bucs missed the playoffs in 2025 — the first time they had with Mayfield under centre — the QB thinks that his best play is ahead of him. However, he remains unconfident that the team would reward him appropriately.
“It’s disappointing. I’m not the first one to go through it like this. This is kind of historically how they’ve done negotiations, which is disappointing when you think you’re a cornerstone of the franchise to be treated like that,” Mayfield said. “And I’m no dummy. I know the contract and salary cap, what’s going on. Franchise tag isn’t exactly in play for them. It’d be a lot of dead money, so it is what it is. And, like I said, unfortunate, but I’m excited. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, in a really good place.”
Along with Mayfield, the Buccaneers have also had to deal with the trade request of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea, who asked out earlier in the week after contract negotiations with the team failed to progress.