Tampa Bay’s next round of contract business is shaping up to be a balancing act, and Baker Mayfield sits right at the center of it.
The quarterback’s looming extension could reshape everything for the Buccaneers, because once that deal gets done, the front office will have a much clearer picture of what it can spend on the rest of the roster. And there’s plenty else to sort through.
Defensive tackle Vita Vea is already making noise with a “hold-in” during mandatory minicamp, but he’s not the only key player heading toward free agency. Outside linebacker YaYa Diaby, who led the Bucs in sacks last year, and guard Cody Mauch are both entering the final year of their rookie contracts. Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey is also in the mix, with his fifth-year option already exercised for 2027.
That gives Tampa Bay a real problem to solve: how many of these players can it keep, and which ones get the top priority if the money starts running thin?
Mayfield is the first name on the board. As Ashlie Abrahams of Buccaneers Wire put it, he will be the “biggest domino” to fall. After signing a three-year, $100 million deal in 2024, Mayfield is in line for a major raise, and the expectation is that his next contract will land at at least $50 million per year, maybe a little more.
That kind of commitment changes the math for everyone else.
Vea presents a different kind of decision. He’s 31, entering his ninth NFL season, and all of them have come with Tampa Bay.
He’s still a high-level player, but the wear and tear is real after years of facing constant double-teams. His $17 million salary for 2026 ranks only 19th among defensive tackles, which explains the hold-in.
He’s underpaid compared with other top players at his position, but a new deal would come with serious risk. The prediction is a three-year contract worth $24-28 million per year, and that would mean betting big on a player approaching his mid-30s.
That’s where the younger group comes in, and they’re not cheap either.
Diaby has become one of Tampa’s most reliable defenders. The 27-year-old posted seven sacks in 2025, the most on the team, and he also holds up against the run.
He hasn’t reached the level of the league’s elite pass rushers, but another strong season could put him in the $20-25 million per year range. That would be a massive jump from the four-year, $5.465 million rookie deal he signed.
Mauch is headed for a significant payday too. Spotrac lists 16 guards making more than $15 million per year, and that sets the floor for what Tampa should expect his next contract to look like.
Kancey might be the wild card. He already has his fifth-year option for 2027, but a strong season in 2026 could make him very expensive after that.
Injuries have slowed him, including a torn pectoral muscle last season that limited him to three games, but when he’s been healthy, he’s flashed like one of the better defensive tackles in the league. If he puts together another good season, the same $24-28 million range being discussed for Vea could become the starting point for Kancey.
For now, the Bucs will do what they can to keep Mayfield long term, then turn to Vea. After that, the deal they strike with Vea will help determine how much room is left for Diaby, Mauch, and Kancey.
If Tampa has to choose, Diaby looks like the priority. Pass rushers are premium players, and the Bucs could have a strong pairing with Diaby and rookie Rueben Bain Jr. It might not make much sense to risk losing Mauch or Kancey just to keep Vea for another three or four years, but Vea remains productive and is expected to get a new deal before the season begins.
The rest, as always with this kind of roster puzzle, will have to wait.
In Other News...
Should The Buccaneers Go All In For Denzel Ward
The Browns decision to move Myles Garrett earlier this offseason has already changed the way the rest of the league views Clevelands roster, and it has put Denzel Ward squarely into the kind of trade conversation that usually only comes up when a team starts thinking bigger-picture. For the Buccaneers, that matters because they are still looking for a true top cornerback to anchor the back end of the defense, and Wards name naturally fits a need that has been hard to ignore.
Tampa Bay is one of the teams being discussed as a possible landing spot before the 2026 season, alongside Detroit and San Francisco, which says plenty about how the market could form if Cleveland keeps leaning into a reset. The question for the Bucs is whether they would be willing to pay the price in draft capital or part with a young defensive back to make a move like that happen, especially if Ward becomes available sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Offense Just Got A Brutal Verdict Fans Wont Ignore
The Buccaneers offense is heading into the kind of summer that invites a lot of second-guessing, especially after ESPNs Bill Barnwell slotted Tampa Bays weapons group 22nd in the league. That is a steep drop from where the unit stood a year ago, and it reflects a mix of uncertainty around the supporting cast and the simple reality that the Bucs are asking a lot from players who will have to carry more of the load.
Chris Godwin Jr., Bucky Irving and rookie Ted Hurst all sit in the middle of that conversation, which is where Tampa Bays hope and worry overlap. The offense still has enough talent to matter, but the questions are obvious: who stays healthy, who holds up over a full season, and who is ready to turn potential into production before the rest of the league forces the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Just Got Hit With Another Brutal National Snub
Baker Mayfields run in Tampa Bay has already given the Buccaneers a steadier stretch than many expected when he arrived, with three seasons, a 27-24 regular-season mark and a playoff win to show for it. Even after that kind of production, CBS Sports still slotted him into its volatile veterans group in its quarterback rankings, a bucket that suggests more uncertainty than the Bucs have actually gotten from him.
The placement feels especially notable because Mayfield has stacked up well statistically in recent seasons and has helped keep Tampa Bay in the mix. For a quarterback who has become central to the teams identity, the bigger question now is whether the national view catches up before his next contract decision becomes part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]