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Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield has officially put pen to paper on a three-year, $165million contract extension with the franchise.
The news, which was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon, puts an end to the signal-caller's long-running standoff with the Buccaneers front office regarding his contract situation - which saw him publicly call out their 'disappointing' offer back in July.
The staggering deal means that Mayfield's new deal has an average annual value of $55 million, ranking him as the third-highest-paid quarterback in the league.
The Buccaneers star's deal now puts him level with the likes of Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence and Matthew Stafford.
News of Mayfield's contract extension will come as a surprise to most fans, given that the signal-caller had seemingly shut down negotiations earlier in training camp.
The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback has reportedly been prepared to play out the final season of his previous three-year, $100 million contract.
At the start of training camp, he said: 'And if you've waited this long to take care of your franchise quarterback, that's too bad, because it's only going to get worse from here. I'm going to have a really good year.'
Mayfield told reporters he had set a deadline to hammer out an extension with the team but, after it passed, he claimed he was done discussing the issue.
'I'm at the point of my career and understanding what I brought to this franchise — one, I'm very, very grateful for the chance they gave me, do not get me wrong on that,' he said.
'But I also really know what I've brought to this franchise leadership-wise and even play-wise.
'It's been some of the best years of my career. And I think it's only going to trend upwards. Just feeling comfortable in feeling that.
'So, disappointing in that regard to not have…to feel disrespected a little bit. And that's really the disappointing part, to feel undervalued after thinking you've earned it.'
Mayfield stressed that he does not feel sorry for himself: 'This is not a "poor me" thing.'
But he also thinks he's a 'franchise quarterback,' which is why he's unwilling to take the offers he's seen from the team.
'Money should never be the motivation in football,' he said. 'It's how do I help this team win? It's never going to be the motivation for me. When it comes to having a chip on your shoulder and all that, for me it just puts me in the mindset of betting on myself.
'That's something I'm pretty familiar with, and it's a good place to be. As a highly competitive guy, sometimes you have to put yourself backed into a corner and fight your way out. I have a lot of guys and a lot of staff around me that are with me, so I'm not alone in it. We're fighting for the same goal, and that's to be playing in February.'
The Bucs went 8-9 last season and open the 2026 campaign in Cincinnati on September 13.
More to follow...
