ESPN Shares Worrying Baker Mayfield Update Ahead Of 2026 Season

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have another contract issue on their hands as training camp begins. After defensive tackle Vita Vea reportedly requested a trade because of a lack of progress on his contract, Baker Mayfield now faces uncertainty over his own future.

According to ESPN’s Jenna Laine and Jeremy Fowler, the two sides remain far apart in contract talks. Their report comes just before the Buccaneers open training camp, raising fresh questions about when an agreement could happen.

Laine reported that a deal does not look likely before the team’s first practice on July 29. She wrote, “Sources told ESPN that Mayfield and his agent have not made significant progress with the Bucs on a new contract. A deal is largely not expected by the start of the Bucs’ first camp practice on July 29, but there is still time to sort through it and potentially reach a deal, sources added.”

Buccaneers Still Have Time, But Questions Remain

Even though talks have moved slowly, this is nothing new for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers have a history of taking their time with contract negotiations, rather than getting deals done before training camp.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer pointed to a few recent examples. Tristan Wirfs signed his extension on Aug. 1, Luke Goedeke agreed to his deal on Sept. 2, and Zyon McCollum signed on Sept. 5. Those deals show that Tampa Bay is comfortable waiting if it believes an agreement will eventually happen.

Right now, the Buccaneers seem to be in control of the negotiations. If Mayfield still doesn’t have a new contract by the preseason, people will start paying closer attention. The pressure will only grow as the regular season approaches and no deal is in place.

Breer believes Mayfield could sign a three-year extension worth about $55 million per year. He said that would make more sense than using the franchise tag over the next two seasons, which would cost around $110 million. A long-term deal would also give the Buccaneers more flexibility with their salary cap.

The biggest issue is Tampa Bay’s future at quarterback. If the Buccaneers decide not to keep Mayfield after this season, replacing him won’t be easy. They probably won’t have a high enough draft pick to select a top quarterback, and finding another reliable starter could force the team into a rebuild.

That is why both sides still have good reasons to keep working toward a new deal.