Baker Mayfield Explains Agreeing to $165M Bucs Contract While Seeing 'Cars' at Theater in New Video

Rather than have Baker Mayfield play out the season on an expiring contract, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to sign their starting quarterback to a three-year, $165 million extension on Tuesday.

As it turns out, he agreed to the new deal while at the movies:

Speaking to reporters about his new deal, Mayfield described it as "life-changing" and praised the Bucs organization for their belief in him leading them now and into the future.

Mayfield, who had previously set the start of training camp as a deadline to get a new deal done, said the Bucs got in contact with his representatives last week and he wasn't aware of anything until Monday evening.

Despite having a lucrative contract in hand, Mayfield explained it doesn't mean he is a made man now because there are many goals still left for him to accomplish, including trying to win a Super Bowl.

Mayfield was set to become a free agent in the offseason, though the Bucs did have the ability to use the franchise tag if they wanted to keep him.

Instead, the Buccaneers were able to get a deal with Mayfield that ties him to the club through the 2029 season. His $55 million average annual salary is tied with five others for the third-highest among all quarterbacks.

This contract is also the culmination of an incredible rebound for Mayfield. He joined the Bucs on a one-year, $4 million deal as a free agent in March 2023.

Mayfield played well enough to earn a three-year deal the following offseason. He proceeded to have arguably the best season of his career in 2024 with 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns.

While the 2025 season was a statistical step back for Mayfield with 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns, his 61.3 QBR ranked 13th and was better than Justin Herbert (60.6), Trevor Lawrence (58.3) and Caleb Williams (58.2).

The Bucs have gone 27-24 in 51 starts with Mayfield over the past three seasons. He led them to NFC South titles in each of his first two years, including a playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2023 Wild Card round.

Things are set up for the Buccaneers to be very good once again in a winnable division. Mayfield has proven he can operate the offense at a high level. There was no reason not to get a deal done, and the two sides were able to figure out a few days before kicking off the 2026 season.

Mayfield, with his fresh new contract in hand, will lead the Bucs when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Sunday.