The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are staring at a 2027 offseason that could reshape the franchise, and the pressure starts with two names sitting near the top of Gregg Rosenthal’s latest free-agent rankings: Baker Mayfield and YaYa Diaby.
NFL.com’s way-too-early list of the top-25 potential free agents for 2027 includes Mayfield at No. 6 and Diaby at No. 15, a reminder that Tampa has several major contract decisions looming. Some of those players will be extended before they ever reach free agency, while others could be tagged or moved off the board before 2027 arrives. But right now, the Bucs have a quarterback and a rising pass rusher who could both be in line for significant raises.
Mayfield’s situation is the most delicate. Franchise quarterbacks usually do not get this close to the final year of a deal without a new one in place, but that’s exactly where Tampa stands after negotiations turned publicly contentious.
The former No. 1 overall pick has given the Bucs plenty to build on over his three seasons in Tampa: two Pro Bowl selections, two division titles and one playoff win. His three-year, $100 million contract signed in 2024 has been a bargain, and now the price tag is moving into a different range.
Mayfield is seeking at least $50 million/year, which the team has offered, and 4-5 years, which the team has balked at.
For now, the quarterback has shut down talks until after the season, leaving him to play without any future security. Unless something changes, he is headed for free agency, where multiple teams would be expected to pursue him.
Rosenthal’s read on Mayfield is measured but optimistic: "Mayfield has stabilized his career in Tampa despite his streakiness. He's going to be a starter next year and is likely to remain with the Bucs if he prospers in 2026."
Diaby is a different kind of problem for Tampa, but no less important. The outside linebacker is part of the Bucs’ 2023 draft class and is playing on a four-year rookie deal with an AAV of around $1.366 million per year.
That bargain is about to expire, and Diaby has earned every bit of his next payday. He led the team with seven sacks in 2025 and enters this season with a chance to push into a career year.
If he gets to double-digit sacks, he could be looking at a deal worth at least $20 million/year, or more.
The market already offers a hint of where that number could go. Nick Herbig of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who was drafted in 2023 and has similar production to Diaby, landed a four-year, $100 million extension earlier this offseason. Diaby could reach that same neighborhood if he keeps climbing.
Rosenthal sees him as more than just a pass-rush threat, calling him one of the league’s best "pocket pushers." He also noted: "Diaby is one of the best pocket pushers in the NFL. He's also tough to move off his spot in the running game because he's so strong."
That blend matters. Diaby is making real strides as a rusher, but he’s also holding his own against the run, which makes him the kind of player teams pay to keep.
The bigger picture for Tampa is simple: keeping Mayfield and Diaby will not come cheap. If the Bucs get back to the postseason this season, there will be a strong case for paying both and keeping the roster’s core intact. If they miss again, the front office may have to choose between extending stars and taking a different path, possibly moving on from Mayfield, Diaby or both and leaning into cheaper options.
Cody Mauch, another member of the 2023 draft class, is also on track to be a potential free agent and could be in line for a major raise next year. Before Tampa pays out on all three, it has to decide what its long-term direction looks like after this season.
And at the center of it all is Mayfield. What happens with him may end up shaping what happens with Diaby and Mauch, too. Not just the quarterback’s future, but the Buccaneers’ future, is on the line this season.
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The bigger question is how much of that promise turns into real traction in 2026, because all three carry the sort of upside that sounds great in February and has to survive the grind of a full season. Tampa Bay does not need all three to hit in the same way, but if even two of them take the expected step forward, the Buccaneers start looking a lot more like the kind of team that can hang around when the standings tighten. [Read more 🡒]