What new prediction about Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield could mean for Seahawks' Sam Darnold

A Wednesday update indicated that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield "are not on the same page" amid negotiations regarding a possible contract extension. 

While Mayfield is in the final year of his existing deal, previous reports revealed that the Seattle Seahawks would not be signing quarterback Sam Darnold to an extension after they landed him via a three-year, $100.5M contract in March 2025. For a piece published on Thursday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested that Darnold should be hoping Mayfield gets paid in a big way this summer. 

Buccaneers fans still shouldn't panic about Baker Mayfield situation?

"Mayfield’s in the final year of a three-year, $100M deal with the Buccaneers now, likely, I’d say, to get something close to the top of the quarterback market with Tampa before Week 1," Breer wrote. "And if he gets $55M or $60M per year, then that would frame where Darnold would be going into his contract season next year with a Super Bowl already under his belt."

This isn't the first time that Breer has predicted that the Buccaneers will ultimately make Mayfield happy before the 2026 season gets underway. For what it's worth, Mayfield previously warned that his deadline for contract talks is the start of training camp in late July. However, Breer is among those who aren't buying that Mayfield would refuse to accept a desired deal if he receives one from the Buccaneers at some point in August or early September. 

That said, the Buccaneers could always play hardball and then use the franchise tag to retain Mayfield's rights for 2027 if he plays well through Tampa Bay's final game of the campaign. Meanwhile, the Seahawks may end up regretting not offering Darnold an extension this summer if he produces a stellar season and/or guides the team to another title. 

Quarterback contracts only get more expensive with each offseason. Darnold likely deserves a pay raise as the reigning Super Bowl champion QB1, but his camp probably wouldn't look to reset the market this summer after he ended the 2025 regular season with a league-high 20 turnovers. 

Seattle is now basically gifting Darnold with an opportunity to bet on himself. 

Will Baker Mayfield become Sam Darnold 2.0?

"I think it’ll be instructive to watch Baker Mayfield’s negotiation in Tampa, because the trajectories of the former Panthers teammates and 2018 draft classmates have been eerily similar — traded from their original teams to Carolina, stabilize as a backup with California NFC West teams for a bit, then go to start on one-year deals, before turning those deals into mid-market contracts with the opportunity to become a franchise’s long-term answer," Breer added about Mayfield and Darnold. 

Back in January 2025, one would have been mocked for predicting that Darnold would hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February 2026. Perhaps Mayfield will surprise critics of his play en route to leading Tampa Bay to a title this coming winter.