The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ star quarterback, Baker Mayfield, is currently under his three-year, $100 million contract, and the 2026 NFL season will be the last one.
That’s why the two-time Pro Bowler is concerned about getting paid before the OTAs end on June 11 and the season starts in September. But before Mayfield’s contract gets finalized, he has thrown their front office under the bus.
In an interview on June 5, the Bucs QB was asked about his contract situation and how he answered the questions that turned the NFL world upside down. But the real conversations started when Mayfield expressed this. Fans started discussing a rumor about his contract that Mayfield is asking for $65 million per year.
But before the rumor got a strong hold on social media and exploded (which happened in the San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy’s case last year when he was about to get a blockbuster deal), an NFL insider poured cold water on it.
A renowned NFL producer said on X, “Baker is a good QB but $65 million a year is quite the ask…” But Stroud quoted and replied, speaking the truth. “Neither Baker Mayfield nor his agent has asked for $65 million per year,” he wrote. “In fact, after the Bucs initial proposal, they haven’t made a counteroffer. That might tell you something.”
The NFL world really started talking about Mayfield’s expressed frustration when reporters asked about his contract.
“Not anywhere close to what we were thinking,” Mayfield said per NFL insider Rick Stroud. “Would love to be here long term, but 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 gonna 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.”
Currently, he is in his last year of contract, and per Spotrac, Mayfield’s current deal includes a $10 million base salary and a $17 million roster bonus. He is scheduled to count $39.975 million against Tampa Bay’s salary cap, with a dead cap charge of $55.125 million.
But is it worth giving a contract extension to Mayfield? His stats record in Tampa backs him. In the past three years, he has thrown for 12237 yards while completing 1,114 throws out of a total 1679 attempts (66.34 completion rate). Though it’s a reality that Mayfield couldn’t help the Bucs reach the NFL playoffs last year. But he has successfully led the Bucs two times in his first two years. That’s why his numbers speak for themselves, and rumors have started swirling about his massive contract.
But along with the $ 65 million contract, there is more rumor (or a potential reality). SB Nation wrote a detailed article on why Mayfield’s 2027 stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers makes sense.
Baker Mayfield might end up in Pittsburgh next year, per NFL rumors
A potential move to the Pittsburgh Steelers would be a logical fit for Mayfield. Having spent four seasons in the AFC North with Cleveland, he is already familiar with the division’s physical style of play. And also from Pittsburgh’s perspective, Mayfield could represent the ideal middle ground.
Rather than embarking on a full rebuild or relying on short-term veteran fixes at the quarterback position, the Steelers could add a proven starter who has shown he can lead a playoff-caliber team. Per SB Nation’s Jarrett Bailey, “if Pittsburgh enjoys success in 2026, the organization may be even more motivated to pursue him as a long-term answer.”
Mayfield would be just 32 years old entering the 2027 season, which makes him young enough to provide stability for several years while still allowing the Steelers to invest in a developmental quarterback through the draft. And along with that, a three-year deal could give Pittsburgh an established starter in the present while preserving flexibility for the future.