The Bucs and Baker Mayfield do not appear to be in the same ballpark when it comes to common ground on a contract extension. The veteran signal caller has gone far beyond the expectations that many had for him when Tampa Bay inked him in the 2023 offseason as a candidate to succeed the retiring Tom Brady.

Over the last three seasons, Mayfield has turned his career around in a big way. He’s completed 66.3% of his passes for 12,237 yards, 95 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions. He earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time in 2023 and followed it up with another appearance in 2024.

However, Mayfield has never shied away from contact and took more than his fair share last year. He banged up his shoulder and exited early in a 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

But to his credit, Mayfield has always found a way to be on the field every Sunday regardless of whatever ailment he’s dealing with. And when asked on Tuesday about whether the need to protect his body more has been mentioned during his contract negotiations with the Bucs, Mayfield had a blunt but strong message in response.

Mayfield points to his record of starting games in Tampa Bay regarding his durability

“I started every single game last year [and] for three years,” Mayfield said. “I don’t know if that should ever be a question.”

It’s not an unfair response at all on Mayfield’s part. He’s proven his toughness, and he’s managed to walk the line between too much risk and suffering a significant injury. But that is a very thin line, and all it takes is one hit to potentially result in a significant injury and a lengthy period on the shelf.

And that’s not something that’s lost on the Bucs, as Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud noted recently. The team would like him to be a little bit more careful on the putting his body on the line, particularly in situations that aren’t do-or-die in that moment.

But Mayfield’s ability to make plays with his legs and extend plays to create opportunities down the field is one of the hallmarks of his play in Tampa Bay. Asking him to cut that out too much limits the full spectrum of what he can do as a quarterback and the benefits he brings to the offense.

The Bucs and Mayfield will need to get on the same page on limiting those risks, as his ability to both stay on the field and be healthy enough to perform will determine how far they go in 2026.

And hopefully that will help them find a way to reach some common ground on the contractual front as well.