Baker Mayfield reportedly signs 3-year extension with Buccaneers days before season opener

It took a few tense exchanges, but Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally found some common ground. Mayfield reportedly agreed to a three-year extension to remain with the Buccaneers beyond the 2026 season, ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported on Tuesday .

Mayfield, 31, is coming off a season in which he threw for 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns.

The deal comes as Mayfield was set to enter the final year of his contract with the Bucs. But when Mayfield got to training camp, he made it clear he preferred a long-term extension with the team instead of playing on a one-year deal.

The Buccaneers were amenable to the idea, but initially failed to meet Mayfield's needs, causing the quarterback to say the offer was " disappointing " and made him feel "undervalued." In late July, Mayfield said the deadline to negotiate a new deal with the team passed, implying he was no longer open to discussing the issue.

"If you've waited this long to take care of your franchise quarterback," Mayfield said, "that's too bad because it's only going to get worse from here. I am going to have a really good year."

Reports emerged suggesting some members of the front office weren't happy with Mayfield for making those comments. Eventually, general manager Jason Licht said that while the team still preferred to work out a long-term extension with Mayfield, it wasn't opposed to using the franchise tag on Mayfield for the 2027 season.

At that time, Licht also said he understood why Mayfield was upset and frustrated by his previous talks with the team.

Mayfield resurrected his career after signing a one-year, prove-it deal with the Bucs in 2023. Mayfield — a former No. 1 overall pick — was coming off an extremely disjointed 2022, where he started the first five games for the Carolina Panthers before sustaining an injury. By the time Mayfield came back, he was essentially benched. Mayfield asked for his release and was spotted taking reps with the Panthers' scout team in practices .

He was finally granted his release and joined the Los Angeles Rams , who were desperately in need of a starting quarterback after various injuries at the position. Mayfield stepped in and — despite little knowledge of the Rams' offense ahead of time — performed well in the role.

That led to the Buccaneers showing interest in Mayfield the following offseason.

In his first year with the Bucs, Mayfield proved he could still play. He threw for over 4,000 passing yards, adding 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That performance earned him his first-ever Pro Bowl nod. He also led the Bucs to the playoffs, where they won a game before falling in the divisional round.

Mayfield's 2023 comeback earned him a three-year, $100 million extension with the Bucs . He performed even better in 2024, dropping 46 touchdown passes and again making the Pro Bowl. Mayfield saw those numbers decline somewhat in 2025, but was still solid.

All of that led to Mayfield wanting another deal this training camp. And while it briefly looked like both sides were heading for a contentious future divorce, cooler heads prevailed, leading to Mayfield receiving a third contract with Tampa Bay .