Overview
- Negotiations remain stalled with both sides far apart on salary structure and guaranteed money and team sources say there has been no recent progress.
- Tampa Bay officials and coach Todd Bowles have flagged Mayfield’s scrambling and ball‑security habits as factors that expose him to avoidable hits and late‑season wear.
- Mayfield rejects those health worries, pointing out he has started every game for the Buccaneers the last three seasons and saying the concerns should not limit his value.
- NFL insiders place Mayfield in the top quarterback pay tier at roughly $55 million per year while media calculations show a 2027 franchise tender would cost the Bucs about $47.97 million.
- With Mayfield’s self‑imposed training‑camp cutoff in mid‑to‑late July, the club faces three near‑term paths: reach an extension, use the costly franchise tag, or pause talks until free agency.