Eight years later, and Baker Mayfield is proving exactly why he was worthy of being drafted first overal in 2017. Now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mayfield has firmly planted himself in MVP discussions this season. He's led his team to a 5-1 record to start the year, all while his receiving corps have gotten progressively banged up over the last few weeks.
Mayfield's play over the last few years has definitely earned him the right to negotiate a big extension with the Buccaneers. When will both sides start talking about this deal, though? Insider Diana Russini reports that no discussions will happen until the end of the 2025 season, at least.
“Baker Mayfield has one year remaining on his contract after 2025, and I’m told any extension talks will happen after the season, giving Mayfield space to focus on his third year in Tampa,” Russini posted on X.
This is standard procedure for most contract extensions in the NFL. Contract negotiations don't happen within a day, it's a long back-and-forth between teams and players to determine what's fair compensation for the latter. If it takes too long, it could potentially be a distraction to the player and the team, as leaks and rumors will inevitably pile up. With the Buccaneers in prime position to compete for a title, they would prefer to not give their star quarterback any headaches.
Mayfield is playing the best football of his career this year. Through six games, he's already amassed a 66.2% completion rate, 1,539 yards, throwing 12 touchdowns to just one interception. The Buccaneers quarterback has made the most of his current situation, too. He's played without Chris Godwin for the entire season, Mike Evans for the last three games, and Emeka Egbuka is out for some time with an ankle injury.
Tampa Bay is getting some much-needed reinforcements for Week 7. Evans is back on the practice field for the Buccaneers, an indication that he should be ready to suit up for their matchup against the Detroit Lions.
