OR the Bucs have an EXTERNAL reason that they will not do more than the reported offer of 2.5 years.
Maybe?
https://www.pewterreport.com/baker-mayfield-bucs-shorter-contract-reason/
The NFL Funding Rule And How It May Be Hurting The Bucs’ Negotiations
The Collective Bargaining Agreement calls for teams to ensure that fully guaranteed money in future years is set aside in an escrow account immediately upon execution of the guarantees. This account has to hold the club’s future fully guaranteed commitments to players, less $15 million. In the case of Baker Mayfield, assuming the two year, $100+ million offer reported by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN was close to, if not fully guaranteed, then the team would essentially have to set aside $140 million or more – immediately. That would be his current salary for 2026 plus the 2027 and 2028 guaranteed salaries.
AND FOR BADABING
That’s a lot of money to essentially no longer have access to if you are the Glazer family. And it doesn’t count the salary outlays for the rest of the roster for 2026 season. Now imagine if their offer was for more than two new years (three total). Based on comparable contracts – and Fowler reported Mayfield’s representation was citing Jordan Love, Brock Purdy and Trevor Lawrence as the comps he was targeting – all carrying full or year-ahead rolling guarantees into a third new year.
A year-ahead rolling guarantee is a guarantee that takes effect after the initial contract is executed, but a year ahead of when the guarantee is to be paid out.
AND THIS FROM JOSH Q
The Bucs have never committed to a contract where full guarantees would require them to fund escrow for more than two years. Baker Mayfield’s current contract ended up with guarantees in the third year, but his first year’s salary did not go into escrow. The closest has been Vita Vea, who had a year-ahead guarantee of under $7 million for his third new year. But that amount was under the $15 million “deductible” teams get on the escrow account. In 2024 they guaranteed 2025
As it stands, I believe this could be a real part of why the negotiations stalled. And why 2026 will be such a pivotal season for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs.
Unless a delal suddenly materializes, there is definitely a missing piece of the puzzle, something like Mayfield over valuing himself or the Bucs having an external factor holding them back.
I say that because there really isnt really a reliable middle ground option.
You're either letting Mayfield go to FA so you can draft a QB and have a rookie salary QB or you're paying $50+ million over the next 4 or 5 years (or more) for a competent QB. There's trash and rookies scale below Mayfield's current APY and then only Watson, Jones and Darnold before you get into the $51.
So Mayfield is asking for $60 or the B ucs offered an effective 2.5 years and he wants 4 or 5. But if they agreed on the APY and the contract term was the issue, they'd find a compromise because the pay scale is the pay scale.
So, fake "I am not talking after TC" is real, but really dumb OR the Bucs have an EXTERNAL reason that they will not do more than the reported offer of 2.5 years.
it honestly doesn't make sense that Baker's camp wouldn't even counter
cue the posters on here saying, "It must be Todd Bowles! Baker wants out!"
I have to imagine if APY wasn't an issue, it's an easy counter with the length so one might surmise he wanted more, $55 or $60M per year
in terms of length, yeah Bucs pussy footing around with a journeymen/bridge QB offer so 2 years really lack of commitment and Baker most definitely sees this as last "high dollar" pay day opportunity so likely wanted 4 or 5 years
I dont blame Baker for rejecting but to not even counter....wondering where their head is at...particularly coming off his worst season as a Buc.
Licht, "we have the utmost respect for Baker"......yeah ok bud.
And Olaf, they didn't offer more because Baker was mid last year. I dont think our billionaire owners are going poor nor if the Bucs respected Baker enough....they wouldnt get a deal done.
2023 - Playoff winning QB
2024 - 40+ TDs
2025 - Hellen Keller like down the stretch, now all of a sudden those league leading INTs seem sort of fucked up
