A winding road eventually led Baker Mayfield to a welcome home in Tampa Bay, where he's followed the Tom Brady era respectably while also revitalizing his NFL career.
Continuing that marriage for the foreseeable future is desired by Mayfield, who enters the final year of his contract in 2026, but the Buccaneers quarterback said Friday that he won't be discussing the matter with club after training camp.
"First and foremost, regardless, we've built roots here in Tampa," Mayfield said Friday from his youth football camp in Tampa, Florida. "We love the community, we love being here, they've embraced us, and we enjoy being here and obviously gonna raise kids here. But yeah, contract stuff, it's happening, it's starting, the talks and what not, but not anywhere close to what we were thinking.
"So, we'd love to be here long-term, and as of right now, it's not exactly the case. But as of now, I'm under contract for 2026, and the guys in that locker room, the staff know that I'm still gonna be me. I'm still gonna do everything that I can to help this team win the Super Bowl. To me, that's the priority. Everything else will take care of itself. Obviously, yes, I would love to have a long-term deal, but they know my deadline is as soon as training camp starts, we're not doing any contract stuff, it's all ball. So, it's not up to me when that gets done. So, hopefully before that. If not, we're still gonna have a good year."
Mayfield signed a three-year, $100 million deal in 2024 following a prove-it campaign in 2023 when he led Tampa back into the playoffs and secured a postseason win in the year following Brady's retirement. He followed that up with his best season in 2024, notching career highs in passing yards (4,500), passing touchdowns (41) and completion percentage (71.4) while continuing the club's string of NFC South titles.
The Buccaneers' streak of five straight playoff appearances ended in 2025 with a lowly 8-9 campaign. The team dealt with a number of key injuries along the season, but lost four their final five games to end it in a three-way tie atop the division, which was claimed by the Panthers despite losing to Tampa Bay in Week 18.
A disappointing season was soon followed up by a disconcerting exit for the Buccaneers. Mike Evans, the club's all-time leading wide receiver, went to San Francisco via free agency for less money than what Tampa offered.
"There's no way to sugarcoat it. It's disappointing to not have him back," Mayfield said of Evans leaving. "Just the caliber of player he is, he's a Hall of Famer, deserved to be a Buc for life. Things happen, but luckily, him and I have a great relationship, we'll still be friends for life, and I'll be cheering him on except when we play them, if it comes down to it."
While Mayfield recognizes the loss of his top target will have an impact, the veteran QB remains confident in a strong receiver corps that returns Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan and Tez Johnson. The Bucs also drafted third-rounder Ted Hurst, a 6-foot-3 wideout they hope can alleviate Evans' absence as a big-bodied target.
"For Mike to leave, it allows Chris to step up -- he's always been an unbelievable leader -- but for him to really take charge of that room," Mayfield said. "With all the injuries we had, a lot of guys played last year. So to also have J-Mac, Chris, Emeka, really, really healthy right now, feeling good, to lead those guys and just to watch the steps that they're taking from Year 1 to Year 2 when it comes to Mek and Tez, and watching them help Ted Hurst out as well. ... There's a lot of weapons in that room. So when you lose a guy like that, you've got to have a lot of people to fill those shoes, not just one person, and we have that."
Mayfield has yet to miss a start during his three-year tenure with the Buccaneers and has proven himself as a more than capable passer who can run a healthy offense that has shown flashes of dominance.
Seemingly, the Buccaneers and the 31-year-old found each other at the perfect time. Mayfield made his intentions clear of what he wants for his future in Tampa and maybe the Buccaneers will heed his deadline. If not, an intense negotiation is instead in their future with other teams able to contact a valuable free-agent QB.
