ESPN: Don’t Look For A Baker Mayfield Holdout
June 11th, 2026
Holdout seems unlikely.
Joe thinks this Baker Mayfield contract chatter is pretty good as some fresh, unexpected content in the final weeks of underwear football season.
As Albert Breer of SI pointed out, there are no contract negotiations. Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht emailed an outline of a contract proposal to Mayfield’s agent and that’s where we stand. Hard to have negotiations when only one side has done anything.
Earlier this week, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN made some calls and he noted that he feels very confident Mayfield is looking for no less than $50 million a year. Fowler seemed to think that figure as a floor is very fair.
It’s hard to believe that Mayfield wants to leave the Bucs. Yes, he already has stated he loves Tampa and is setting down roots having his two children born here.
And, as Joe pointed out in soon-to-be-published edition of the “Ira Kaufman Podcast,” Mayfield is currently playing behind one of the league’s best offensive lines (when healthy). Does he really want to play for another team with a lesser offensive line and get beat up and maybe have his career shortened?
Additionally, Mayfield’s best friends on the team are offensive linemen. He certainly doesn’t want to leave them hanging.
All in all, Joe is confident Mayfield is the Bucs starting quarterback in 2027. And Fowler doubted seriously Mayfield will activate Operation Shutdown and hold out.
More on Baker Mayfield’s contractual future on @SportsCenter with @BCusterTV pic.twitter.com/GIcDqVp2f7
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 5, 2026