The 2026 offseason has long loomed as the likeliest point at which a Baker Mayfield Buccaneers extension would be worked out. General manager Jason Licht expects an agreement to indeed be reached this spring. 
“Baker is a true pro. He’s a leader for this team. We love Baker,” Licht said at the league meeting (via Rob Maadi of the Associated Press). “Baker is still our quarterback. He’s one of the toughest guys on the team. He’s a great leader. Everything kind of revolves around the quarterback spot. At some point, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”
Licht confirmed there is no timeline in place for a Mayfield deal to be finalized. The surprisingly effective 2023 free agent signing played his way into a long-term commitment during his debut season in Tampa Bay. The sides agreed to a three-year, $100MM pact which allowed Mayfield to remain the team’s starter. He is owed $40MM for 2026 as things stand, a figure which is almost the same as his cap charge. The Bucs acted early when locking in $30MM of that compensation.
A long-term pact would of course be the next logical step. Mayfield, 31 next month, was unable to match his production from 2023 and ’24 during this past campaign, but particularly early in the year he thrived in the QB1 role. Much of Tampa Bay’s offense will remain in place from last season, with the rather notable exception of wideout Mike Evans. Mayfield’s latest offensive coordinator will be Zac Robinson, whose hire he pushed for during the winter.
Licht also said a new deal for pass rusher YaYa Diaby should be in place ahead of next season. Diaby immediately carved out a large role for himself upon entering the NFL three years ago. The Louisville product has been a full-time starter since then, posting 32 pressures in each of the past two seasons. Diaby has never topped 7.5 sacks in a single campaign, but he has been a mainstay on a Tampa Bay defense lacking in established edge rush producers.
Entering his age-27 season, Diaby is currently a pending free agent for next spring. It comes as little surprise an extension is being targeted in his case. Mayfield’s new pact will no doubt be the higher priority, but Diaby is a strong candidate to open the 2026 season with a new deal of his own based on Licht’s optimism.