Baker Mayfield agreed to a lucrative new contract extension on Tuesday, a record-setting deal that keeps the Tampa Bay Buccaneers committed to their franchise quarterback through at least the 2029 season. It wasn't until Wednesday, however, that Mayfield officially signed the deal into place, making it what General Manager Jason Licht would refer to as a "monumental day" in franchise history during an afternoon press conference.
During that press conference, Mayfield would concede that the contract providing him and his family with "life-changing money. What he would not concede was that it was player-changing money.
"I still have so much to prove," he stressed. "This isn't, 'I have made it.' You know, this is life-changing money. This is stuff that for us is unbelievable. But it's an opportunity to help the community and to continue to progress and move forward. And the main goal is still the Super Bowl, and I don't have one of those."
Mayfield doesn't have to prove that he is that franchise quarterback. He did so, in essence, in 2023 when he was playing on a one-year "prove-it" deal for a team that could barely find enough cap space to get him for a relative pittance. He threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns, led the Bucs to a division title and immediately established himself as the team's emotional leader. That earned him a much more market-worthy three-year deal in 2024, of which he would have been playing the final season if not for the new extension. In his three years combined at the helm so far he has thrown for 12,237 yards and 95 touchdowns, ranking third and second in the NFL in those categories, respectively, during that span. His win-at-all-cost approach to the game, which has made him one of the NFL's most statistically effective scramblers on third down, permeates throughout the roster.
But Mayfield will eternally play with a chip on his shoulder, and as such he will never feel like he has reached the apex of what he can achieve or where he can lead his team to.
"I think for me it's not about just taking time to enjoy that," he said. "It's realizing that I have an unbelievable opportunity to continue to lead this building. For me, that's working even harder and trying to push this group even harder. I don't think there's been a moment where I'm like, 'OK, I've made it.' For me, it's not like that, or I probably should retire. There's still a lot of hunger, a lot of drive, and I need to continue that way."
View the best photos of Baker Mayfield from the 2025 NFL Season.
ATLANTA, GA - September 07, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 and Wide Receiver Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs won the game, 23-20. Photo By Doug DeFelice/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ATLANTA, GA - September 07, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs won the game, 23-20. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HOUSTON, TX - September 15, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans. The Bucs won the game, 20-19. Photo By Mike Carlson/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HOUSTON, TX - September 15, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans. The Bucs won the game, 20-19. Photo By Mike Carlson/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HOUSTON, TX - September 15, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans. The Bucs won the game, 20-19. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HOUSTON, TX - September 15, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans. The Bucs won the game, 20-19. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HOUSTON, TX - September 15, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans. The Bucs won the game, 20-19. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
HOUSTON, TX - September 15, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans. The Bucs won the game, 20-19. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - September 21, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs won the game, 29-27. Photo By Doug DeFelice/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - September 21, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs won the game, 29-27. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - September 21, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his daughter before the game between the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs won the game, 29-27. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - September 28, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs lost the game, 31-25. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SEATTLE, WA - October 05, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. The Bucs won the game, 38-35. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SEATTLE, WA - October 05, 2025 - Center Graham Barton #62 and Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. The Bucs won the game, 38-35. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SEATTLE, WA - October 05, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks. The Bucs won the game, 38-35. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - October 12, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs won the game, 30-19. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - October 12, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his daughter before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs won the game, 30-19. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - October 12, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs won the game, 30-19. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - October 12, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs won the game, 30-19. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DETROIT, MI - October 20, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions. The Bucs lost the game, 24-9. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NEW ORLEANS, LA - October 26, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints. The Bucs won the game, 23-3. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - November 09, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 and Running Back Rachaad White #1 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs lost the game, 28-23. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ORCHARD PARK, NY - November 16, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers scores a touchdown during the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills. The Bucs lost the game, 44-32. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ORCHARD PARK, NY - November 16, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Buffalo Bills. The Bucs lost the game, 44-32. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
INGLEWOOD, CA - November 23, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams. The Bucs lost the game, 34-7. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - December 07, 2025 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints during a regular season game at Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs lost the game, 24-20. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - December 11, 2025 - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons during a regular season game at Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs lost the game, 29-28. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CHARLOTTE, NC - December 21, 2025 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. The Bucs lost the game, 23-20. Photo By Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
TAMPA, FL - January 03, 2026 - The Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers play a regular season game at Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs won the game, 16-14. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last season, Mayfield was hearing "MVP" chants at Raymond James Stadium as he engineered multiple late-game comebacks to power the Bucs to a 6-2 start. However, injuries continued to mount throughout the offensive personnel, the late-game magic faded in the second half of the season and the Bucs slipped to 8-9, losing the NFC South title on a tiebreaker to the Carolina Panthers.
"A lot of things," said Mayfield when asked what he still has to prove. "I think when it comes to just being able to finish the season the right way. We've had hot starts and lulls in the middle of the year, being able to put it all together and be consistent. And that's not just for me, but for our team. As the leader, I have to do that. And I have to demand that of myself every day before I can demand it of my teammates. And so just trying to raise that standard no matter if it's going good or bad every single day and go from there and just be more consistent. We started out winning a lot of close ball games, two-minute, last year early on, but didn't make those plays towards the end of the year that we needed to. And so that goes with consistency."
Dissatisfied with the state of contract negotiations in the offseason, Mayfield stated that he would not revisit the topic once training camp had started. He stayed true to that vow but talks were rekindled between the Buccaneers and his agent last week and a deal quickly fell into place. Mayfield said he didn't realize those talks were happening until his agent called him with the news of great progress on Monday. Head Coach Todd Bowles wouldn't have been able to tell the difference from Mayfield's day-to-day approach anyway.
"I don't think [the contract] does anything for him, the way he prepares, the way he gets ready to play," said Bowles. "It does great for him financially off the field, and his family, so you can say that part about it, but I don't think it's going to change him one bit."
That hasn't stopped his teammates from ribbing him about that exact thing. That's fair, because Mayfield certainly isn't shy about doling out digs of his own. They all understand, however, that nothing is going to change in terms of his effort and how he leads the team.
"A lot of the guys are making jokes, but it's all fun and whatnot," said Mayfield. "But for me, I'm going to lead. It doesn't matter what the contract is. It doesn't matter what the outside thinks. I'm going to lead the best way I can and just be myself and play with fire and passion and try and be the best quarterback on the field."
