Baker Mayfield’s long-term future in Tampa Bay is suddenly looking a lot murkier.
The Buccaneers are in no hurry to lock up their quarterback with an extension, and the same slow pace is hanging over defensive tackle Vita Vea as both players move deeper into critical stages of their contracts. Mayfield has already said the sides are still a long way from an agreement, and for now the focus shifts toward football once training camp opens.
Tampa Bay reports to camp on July 28, but there doesn’t appear to be much momentum on either deal. Mike Garafolo reported that there is still significant work to do before anything gets across the finish line.
Mayfield is playing on a three-year, $100 million contract that runs through 2026, and his recent production has made a stronger deal the obvious next step. Instead, the Buccaneers are choosing patience over urgency.
Vea is in a similar spot. He skipped minicamp activities while in the final year of his deal and said he wants to stay in Tampa Bay, even as talks have stalled.
Mayfield was blunt about where things stood when he spoke in June:
“First and foremost, regardless, we’ve built roots here in Tampa. We love the community, we love being here.
They’ve embraced us. We enjoy being here and, obviously, are going to raise kids here,” Mayfield said in June.
“But the contract stuff, it’s happening, it’s starting - talks and whatnot. But, not anywhere close to what we were thinking.
So, would love to be here long-term, and as of right now, that’s not exactly the case. But I’m under contract for 2026.
The guys in that locker room, the staff know that I’m still going to be me - I’m still going to do everything I can to help this team win a Super Bowl. To me, that’s the priority.
Everything else will take care of itself.”
That leaves Tampa Bay with a familiar NFL balancing act: reward a quarterback who has played well, or wait and keep flexibility intact. For now, the Bucs are leaning toward the latter.
If the talks keep dragging, hold-in scenarios or even trade speculation could start to bubble up. That’s the business side of the league, and it has now landed squarely on Mayfield and Vea as the preseason approaches.
Mayfield has been through prove-it situations before and has built a reputation for toughness and leadership along the way. He’s still preparing for the season, but the contract picture around him is clearly unsettled.
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