[ad_1]
Quarterback Baker Mayfield has made it known on multiple occasions that he wants to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beyond the 2026 season.
That said, Mayfield is in the final year
of his existing deal, and there’s been no indication that he and the club are close to coming to terms on a multiyear agreement. During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, former Los Angeles Chargers
and Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco discussed how the situation involving the Buccaneers and Mayfield likely will end.
What it will likely cost Buccaneers to make Baker Mayfield happy
“I’m sure they’d probably figure, look, it’s gonna start with a five,” Telesco said about the Buccaneers’ offer to Mayfield, per the JoeBucsFan website. “That’s just where it is now. I don’t know where their camp is as far as how much above [$50M] they want to go, but it’s probably gonna be in that 50 range. …So it sounds like a lot, but he’s a solid starting quarterback for them, and he’s played well for them.”
Mayfield guided the Buccaneers to a pair of division titles and one playoff victory over his first two campaigns with the club. He then suffered a significant injury
to his non-throwing shoulder in Week 12 of last season amid Tampa Bay’s collapse that involved the team going from 6-2 to 8-9 and missing the postseason.
It’s unclear how much guaranteed money Mayfield wants and how much guaranteed cash Tampa Bay is willing to give him before he takes another in-game snap. If necessary, the Buccaneers could retain his rights for 2027 via the franchise tag.
How Buccaneers may handle contract talks with Baker Mayfield’s camp
Mayfield previously warned that his deadline for contract talks is the start of training camp in late July. Telesco seems to think Mayfield probably won’t put pen to paper on a deal before the start of camp gets closer.
“If you’re the club,” Telesco explained, “you probably stretch it all the way to right before camp. You try to save as much money as you can because you want to use that money on other players. It’s not like the money you save on Baker goes into your pocket, and you keep it. You’re gonna spend on other players.”
In short, it sounds like Buccaneers ownership is hoping to receive at least somewhat of a hometown discount from Mayfield’s representatives over the next month or so. Then again, Mayfield could bet on himself and play in a contract year through this coming winter.
[ad_2]
Source link
