Buccaneers News: Mayfield Enters Contract Year With Something to Prove in Tampa
Baker Mayfield had a down year by the standards he had set for himself in Tampa Bay. Now he enters 2026 with a revamped supporting cast, a new play-caller he specifically wanted, and a contract situation that gives him every reason to perform.
Mayfield finished the 2025 regular season with 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, a step back from the career year he posted in 2024, when he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns and finished as fantasy’s QB4. In 2025, he ranked roughly QB12 overall. The decline was not simply a function of effort or execution. Mayfield was on a QB10 pace through the first 11 weeks of the season before a shoulder injury in Week 12 against the Rams disrupted his rhythm and production across the final stretch.
The receiver room compounded the problem. Chris Godwin Jr., who officially added “Jr.” to his name last summer to honor his late father, missed five games with a fibula injury and finished with just 33 catches for 360 yards. Mike Evans battled through a reduced role before leaving for the San Francisco 49ers on a three-year, $60.4 million deal in March. Jalen McMillan dealt with a neck issue. The injuries cascaded across both the skill positions and the offensive line, and Tampa Bay ranked 21st in the NFL in total offense, a significant drop from third a year earlier.
The Buccaneers responded by firing first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard and bringing in Zac Robinson from the Atlanta Falcons. What makes the hire noteworthy is how it happened: per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Mayfield made a significant push for Robinson. Robinson, a product of Sean McVay’s coaching tree, worked with Mayfield briefly during the quarterback’s five-game stint with the Rams in 2022. Robinson took interviews with just two teams before choosing Tampa Bay, partly because of that prior connection.
“Zac is one of the bright offensive minds in our game,” head coach Todd Bowles said. “He has a very good understanding of the strengths of our top offensive players from his time in the division the past two years.”
The receiver room Mayfield returns to in 2026 is younger but still functional. Egbuka, a first-round pick in 2025 who flashed before running out of steam late in the season, enters Year 2. Godwin Jr. is a full year further removed from his ankle injury and poised for a rebound. McMillan remains the primary deep threat. The Buccaneers also added Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst in the third round of the 2026 draft as a red zone target.
Mayfield’s contract situation adds a layer of motivation that cannot be ignored. He is in the final year of the three-year, $100 million deal he signed before the 2024 season, with no guaranteed money remaining in 2026. GM Jason Licht has been publicly vocal about wanting Mayfield long-term.
“Baker is at the forefront of our mind at all times,” Licht said. “All of our plans revolve around Baker, and that’s something that we’ll get to at some point. Nobody here wants Baker to be playing for another team.” ESPN
Extension talks are expected but have not formally begun. Spotrac projects a 3-year, $155 million extension before training camp as the most likely outcome. If no deal is reached before Week 1, Mayfield will be auditioning for his next contract in real time.