It’s a little disappointing to see Baker Mayfield, of all quarterbacks, play the waiting game for a contract. After back-to-back strong seasons that revived his career in Tampa Bay, he has more than made his case for a long-term deal. But the front office is still mulling over this idea. Even though the Bucs might not be as talked about as other teams, this situation hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Former Washington Redskins guard Mark Schlereth, who won three Super Bowls, called out Tampa Bay’s top brass in the delay behind giving Mayfield his due.

“It would be malfeasance, organizational malfeasance, not to sign Baker to a long-term deal, not to rip up that contract after two years,” Mark Schlereth said on The Stinkin’ Truth Podcast. “If you make him play on a $33 million contract on a one-year deal, shame on you.

“I don’t believe Jason Licht, their GM, will do that. I believe that he will have a new deal before the season starts, because if you don’t, what message does it send to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? What message does it send to the fan base? What message does it send, more importantly, to the guys within that locker room?”

Right now, Mayfield is sitting on $33.3 million a year, thanks to the three-year, $100 million extension he signed before the 2024 season. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer predicted the QB going for $50 million, which would perhaps put him among the right contemporaries. (Deshaun Watson at Cleveland is getting paid more than Mayfield without having played the 2025 season.)

NFL, American Football Herren, USA San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct 12, 2025 Tampa, Florida, USA Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield 6 warms up before a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Raymond James Stadium Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xNathanxRayxSeebeckx 20251012_tcs_fo8_098Two weeks ago, Mayfield was pretty blunt about where things stood, saying he and the team are “not anywhere close” to a new deal. He’s also put them on the clock, declaring that the negotiations will go on until training camp begins. So far, nothing has changed.

“Pretty much the same,” Mayfield said about the current situation on Tuesday. “But for me, like I told you guys, it’s not going to affect how I approach this. Things will happen when they should, but for now, I’m worried about getting better each day, finishing minicamp and this offseason program the right way, and going into training camp.”

When Mayfield signed the contract with the Buccaneers in 2023, he had the mammoth task of leading a team that was still on a Tom Brady-high. These were big shoes to step into, and fortunately, he was able to hold down the fort. Mayfield kept Tampa Bay competitive by winning two consecutive NFC South Championships. The star quarterback is well within his rights to ask for a bigger amount.

And on many instances, the team has come forward to express why Mayfield belongs at Tampa Bay.

“He’s a much cooler guy than I thought he was,” former Buccaneers and now-49ers WR Mike Evans told ESPN in 2024. “I always knew he was a really talented player, knew he was tough, knew he played with a lot of energy, mobile and all of those things. But I’ve come to find out he’s an unbelievable teammate.”

“Baker stayed the course and just kept working,” tight end Cade Otton said of Mayfield. “And that’s at the foundation of who he is — he works, he competes, and he brings us all together.”

The Bucs are trying to bounce back this year after an 8-9 season in 2025. Mayfield made it seem easy so far, but the front office has had to go back to the drawing board and recalibrate. No matter what strategy is chosen, a happy Baker Mayfield has to factor into it if the team wants to be competitive. Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr also wrote that his leadership is “more important—and expensive—than ever” after Evans’ departure.

For now, both sides are keeping things calm in public, even as the pressure builds behind the scenes. But the longer Tampa Bay waits without a real offer, the more this becomes a question about how much they actually value him, and that’s not a great look heading into the season.