How Baker Mayfield went from "Disrespected" to a $165M deal with the Buccaneers

Baker Mayfield felt unwanted. He said so, plainly, when training camp opened in Tampa Bay without a new contract. Months of back-and-forth had gone nowhere, and by the time the Buccaneers broke camp, Mayfield had publicly shelved extension talks until after the 2026 season. Then, with barely a whisper of warning, it was done. On Tuesday, just days before Tampa Bay's season opener against Cincinnati, Mayfield and the Buccaneers agreed on a three-year, $165 million extension worth $55 million per year.Why did Baker Mayfield feel disrespected by the Buccaneers?The frustration had been building for months. Negotiations stalled publicly in June when NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the two sides were nowhere near a deal. Mayfield confirmed it himself, saying they were "not anywhere close." He set the start of training camp as his personal deadline. When that date passed without progress, he didn't hold back. He told reporters he felt "disrespected a little bit" and that he was undervalued given what he had produced in Tampa Bay.That production was real. Since arriving on a $4 million one-year deal in 2023 to replace Tom Brady, Mayfield rebuilt his entire career. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons with the Bucs, led them to back-to-back NFC South titles, and had an MVP-caliber first half last season before injuries slowed him down. Coming off his previous $100 million extension signed in 2024, he had every reason to expect the organization to make him feel valued. Instead, he felt the opposite.So when training camp arrived, he did what he said he would. He showed up, shifted his focus to football, and publicly moved on from contract talks. The expectation across the league was that this would carry into the regular season, unresolved and lingering.What does the $165 million extension mean for Mayfield and the Buccaneers going forward?At $55 million per year, Mayfield now sits tied for the third-highest annual salary among quarterbacks in the NFL, alongside Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, and Matthew Stafford. That is a significant number for a player who was waived by the Carolina Panthers four years ago and spent five games with the Rams before finding his footing in Tampa.The deal also carries weight for a Buccaneers team navigating transition. Mike Evans, the franchise's all-time leading receiver, left for San Francisco in the offseason. The offensive weapons around Mayfield look different now. But the front office clearly believes that stability at quarterback is the foundation everything else is built around.The timing matters too. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the two sides quietly resumed talks after Mayfield had publicly ended them. Nobody announced it. Nobody leaked it early. It just got done, right before the season.For a player who said he felt unseen, $165 million is a clear answer.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.