A year ago, Baker Mayfield was still fighting for long-term security. Now, he’s the guy Tampa Bay is building around. He secured a life-altering contract, became a father, and had a career year marked by personal bests: 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, and a 10–7 record. He cashed in. Then he cashed in again. Add in his fiery playoff performance, and it became hard to argue against giving him the keys for the foreseeable future.

So, when Mayfield signed his deal with the Buccaneers last offseason, the narrative was simple. Prove yourself again. Despite his record, many still viewed him as a bridge quarterback. Not anymore. In a conversation with CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, Mayfield revealed that Tampa has now guaranteed a huge chunk of his $40 million base salary for the 2026 season, a detail that had previously gone unnoticed. “I signed the contract. I knew what it was,” the QB said, calmly confident, fully aware of the long game he’s playing.

When the Bucs gave Mayfield a three-year, $100 million contract in March 2024, only $30 million in 2024 and $20 million in 2025 were guaranteed. The 2026 figure was essentially a team option. By shifting that money into the guaranteed column, Tampa has sent a message. They believe in Baker, and they’re backing it up with real commitment. For a quarterback who bounced from Cleveland to Carolina to Los Angeles, this is validation in the form of security.

But make no mistake, this doesn’t mean Mayfield is done proving people wrong. The NFL moves fast, and 2025 will be a defining chapter. If Baker continues to grow in Todd Bowles‘ system and leads Tampa to another playoff push, the Buccaneers may not just honor the current deal, they might tear it up and hand him a long-term extension before next season ends. He’s no longer fighting for a spot in the league. He’s fighting to own one.

From No. 1 pick to waiver-wire survivor to franchise quarterback, Mayfield’s journey has been anything but smooth. But with $40 million now locked in, he’s no longer just betting on himself, the Buccaneers are, too. And that’s the kind of story that only gets more interesting from here.

Baker Mayfield puts a dagger through the Browns’ hearts

Baker Mayfield’s days in Cleveland are long gone, but don’t expect him to offer any warm memories or sympathy when it comes to his old team’s never-ending quarterback mess. The Buccaneers QB, now riding high off back-to-back NFC South titles, made it crystal clear on the New Heights podcast that he’s not interested in revisiting the dysfunction he left behind in Northeast Ohio.

Appearing with Jason and Travis Kelce, both of whom grew up in Cleveland, Mayfield fielded a not-so-innocent question from Jason, who still seems to wear his Browns fandom on his sleeve. “How can we fix the quarterback situation in Cleveland? What is going on?” Jason asked. “The Browns’ jersey is now a list of 25 people. Is it a curse? Why can we not get this right? We draft you, the best quarterback in college history. What’s going on? What’s happening?”

Baker didn’t even pretend to be diplomatic. “Listen, I plead the fifth,” he said, before perfectly dropping the mic, “Not my problem anymore.” That single line said everything. And for a guy who once helped lift Cleveland out of football purgatory, leading the Browns to their first playoff win in 26 years in January 2021, it stung with intent. Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, holds a 29-30 career record as a starter with the Browns. But he’s never forgotten how quickly he was cast aside after gutting through a torn labrum in 2021. The Browns chased Deshaun Watson and shipped him to the Panthers in July 2022.

Now in Tampa Bay, Baker made an ultimate point without going back into past. “When I was healthy, I was starting to get pretty damn good there,” he said, clearly still confident in what he could’ve been for the Browns if given the time, trust, and health. For Cleveland, the quarterback carousel continues. For Baker, the scars are clearly still there, but so is the swagger.

If the Browns were looking for closure, Mayfield just gave them his answer. He’s not looking back, and he’s not offering apologies. He’s got a new team, a new chapter, and maybe a little bit of revenge fueling every throw.