Baker Mayfield plans to play out the final year of his contract and enter free agency next offseason, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Jenna Laine.
Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers haven't made any notable progress on a potential extension ahead of the quarterback's self-imposed deadline. He said in June that he'd marked the start of training camp as his deadline to get a new deal done. Mayfield and the rest of the team reported to camp Tuesday, with the first practice slated for Wednesday.
The 31-year-old isn't bothered by the idea of playing the upcoming season on the franchise tag, Fowler and Laine report.
Mayfield signed a three-year, $100-million deal in March 2024. His average annual value of $33.3 million per year ranks 16th among quarterbacks, just behind Seattle Seahawks passer Sam Darnold ($33.5 million) and one spot ahead of Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Aaron Rodgers ($22.5 million), per Over the Cap.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Mayfield has produced 95 touchdowns to 37 interceptions while guiding Tampa Bay to a 27-24 record across his three seasons under center. He led the Buccaneers to the postseason each of his first two years but fell short of doing so last season. Mayfield finished the 2025 campaign with 3,693 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
