(WS News) – Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield says he was left feeling disrespected and undervalued after contract extension talks with the franchise fell apart just before the start of training camp, and he has now closed the door on further negotiations until the 2026 season ends.
Speaking to reporters at the team’s training facility, Mayfield said he had set his own deadline for a new deal at the start of camp, hoping to avoid the kind of contract distraction that can derail a season. When that deadline passed without an agreement, he did not hold back on how the process had left him feeling.
“It’s disappointing in the regard to feel disrespected a little bit,” Mayfield told reporters, adding that the hardest part was “to feel undervalued after thinking you’ve earned it.” He was careful to frame his frustration in perspective, noting that plenty of people have it worse, but he also made clear he believes his production and leadership justify a deal among the league’s top-paid passers.
According to reporting on the negotiations, the Buccaneers’ offer fell well short of the four-year, $50-million-per-year range Mayfield and his camp were seeking, with the team instead proposing a shorter two-year structure. Mayfield is playing out the final year of his existing deal worth roughly $33 million annually in 2026, and since 2023 he ranks among the league’s most productive quarterbacks relative to his pay, throwing for more than 12,000 yards and 95 touchdowns while leading Tampa Bay to back-to-back division titles before an injury-hit 2025 campaign.
Mayfield said he addressed his teammates directly after the first day of camp to make sure the message was clear to newer players: the contract talk is over, and his focus is entirely on football from here. He also used his press availability to advocate for another unhappy veteran, nose tackle Vita Vea, who has requested a trade after his own extension talks stalled and has been holding in at camp.
“If you’ve waited this long to take care of your franchise quarterback, that’s too bad, because it’s only going to get worse from here,” Mayfield said, adding that he expects to have a strong season regardless of the contract situation. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said little on the matter beyond noting that nothing about the league surprises him anymore.
The standoff adds to a turbulent offseason for Tampa Bay, which has also seen the departure of longtime receiver Mike Evans in free agency and the retirement of longtime captain Lavonte David. Whether the two sides revisit talks before the 2026 season kicks off remains to be seen, but for now, both player and team appear to be moving forward without a resolution.
