Baker Mayfield Reacts to Bucs Contract Extension, 'Caught Me Off Guard' After Offseason Talks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield says he was surprised by contract offers including the three-year, $165 million extension he signed earlier this week despite cutting off his involvement in negotiations at the start of training camp.

Mayfield told ESPN's Peter Schrager he hadn't known his agent and the Buccaneers were still in negotiations until he and his wife Emily received a call Monday night.

"I started training camp. I told my agent, 'Listen, I'm done talking about it. I'm done pacing the house thinking about it, unless there's something that you guys talk about and it's worth bringing to my attention,'" Mayfield told Schrager in an appearance on ESPN's Big Day.

Mayfield continued, "He contacted Emily and I on Monday night, about 6 p.m. I guess they had been talking since later in the week, last week, which was news to me, so caught me off guard as well. He presented a couple options, and went from there."

Mayfield previously told reporters he had agreed to the final terms of the contract while watching a theatrical re-release of the movie Cars with teammates and their families.

The Buccaneers announced around 6 p.m. Tuesday Mayfield had been signed to the largest contract in franchise history.

The deal will put Mayfield on the same tier as top quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence and Matthew Stafford by matching their $55 million in annual average salary.

The contract also included $110 million in new guarantees to go alongside the $40 million in guaranteed money Mayfield was already set to earn this season, per ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Mayfield will look to start his first game since signing the historic deal strong when the Buccaneers open the 2026 season on the road this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.