Baker Mayfield is a tough bargain, and he wants to get the type of deal he feels deserving of.
That burned some bridges with the Cleveland Browns before his trade, and he may have learned his lesson. Earlier in the offseason, Mayfield set a deadline to get a new deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, claiming he’d either sign before training camp or play on the final year of his contract. Now, speaking at his annual quarterback camp in Oklahoma, it seems that he’s changed his tone.
Baker Mayfield lowers his guard with the Bucs
“I would love to be there,” Mayfield told reporters. “I think both sides want to get it done. Now, it’s a matter of finding that middle ground and what makes both sides happy. I want to be there long-term. They’ve treated me right.”
Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay, and while consistency and injuries have held him back at times, he’s been his best version since arriving in Florida. The Bucs don’t have a feasible option to replace him right now, with Jake Browning, Connor Bazelak and Jalon Daniels as the other quarterbacks on the roster.
Ideally, both sides would want to get this out of the way sooner rather than later. Otherwise, this will only be a distraction at a time when head coach Todd Bowles’ seat might get a bit too lukewarm. Mayfield is currently making $33 million, ranking 16th among NFL quarterbacks, and he might be looking at something closer to the $50 million mark.
Whether the Bucs will comply and meet his demands remains to be seen, but with Daniel Jones getting $88 million over two years in free agency, Mayfield’s baseline asking price should be above that.