Baker Mayfield does not do quiet frustration. When the Buccaneers failed to give him the extension he wanted, he made sure everyone knew exactly how he felt about it.
The Tampa Bay quarterback said Thursday that he felt disrespected and undervalued by the team’s contract offers. That is strong language for a player who is normally careful about publicly airing grievances with his employer.
Mayfield set a self-imposed deadline of training camp to get a new deal done. He is entering the final year of a three-year, $100 million agreement, and he wanted long-term security before starting the season. The two sides could not get there.
“I’m very, very thankful for the chance they gave me, do not get me wrong on that,” Mayfield said. “But I also know what I’ve brought to this franchise leadership-wise and even play-wise. It’s been some of the best years of my career and I think it’s only going to trend upwards. Disappointing in that regard to feel disrespected a little bit.”
He was not done. Speaking separately to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Mayfield revealed that the Bucs only offered a two-year contract when he wanted a long-term commitment. He also said the money was “pretty far” from the $50 million per year range he was targeting.
That is a wide gap. If the Bucs were closer to $40 million and Mayfield wanted $50-plus, that is not a negotiation you close over one weekend. Both sides walked away, and both sides now have leverage problems.
Mayfield’s argument is not crazy. He has been a very productive quarterback in Tampa. He threw for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season while playing through significant injuries. He led the Bucs to the playoffs twice in three years. He has been the best version of himself since arriving in Florida.
For context, the Jaguars are paying Trevor Lawrence $55 million per year. Justin Herbert is at $52 million. Even Kirk Cousins is making $45 million in Atlanta. Mayfield has outproduced most of those quarterbacks on a per-dollar basis. His frustration has math behind it.
The Bucs’ position is understandable, too. Mayfield is 31 years old. He has been inconsistent throughout his career. He was cut by the Panthers and rescued by Tampa Bay as a bridge quarterback three years ago. Committing $50 million per year for four or five years to a QB with that profile is a real risk.
That is where the two sides get stuck. Mayfield sees the tape and thinks he has earned franchise quarterback money. The Bucs see the career arc and want a shorter, cheaper commitment. Neither side is completely wrong.
What happens now gets interesting. Mayfield is famous for using perceived disrespect as fuel. That is basically the entire origin story of his football career. Getting told he was not worth what he thought is going to fire him up.
If he plays lights out this season, the leverage shifts entirely to him. He hits free agency next spring, gets courted by multiple teams, and cashes in for real. The Bucs would then have to franchise tag him at over $50 million or watch him walk.
That is a scenario Tampa Bay probably wants to avoid. But by refusing to budge now, they may have created it. Mayfield is not the kind of guy who forgets being told he is not worth the money. Expect a monster season and a very awkward March.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
