Baker Mayfield’s contract situation is among the most intriguing ones in the league right now, as he is entering the final year of his three-year $100 million contract. The player has openly spoken that conversations with the front office have not progressed, and if a decision on a long-term deal is not made by the start of training camp in late July, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could miss out on extending the QB, as he has said that he won’t be negotiating a contract after that.

With the tensions high in Tampa, teams have started to pay attention to Mayfield. One of the franchises interested in acquiring Mayfield has been the Pittsburgh Steelers. With their star QB, Aaron Rodgers, set to retire after the 2026 season, Mayfield would be a great player to have. However, a Steelers writer is not very optimistic about the franchise being able to pull off the move.

“Before anyone gets too excited about Mayfield coming to the Steelers, just understand this isn’t feasible,” Curt Popejoy wrote on Steelers Wire. “Not even a little bit. Mayfield is currently playing on a three-year, $100 million contract. And we assume he’s going to want a raise in his next deal. Meanwhile, the Steelers have completely depleted their salary cap on huge contracts all over the field. Pittsburgh is going to be strapped for cash and will be forced to play a young quarterback next season at minimum.”

Mayfield would be a great pick-up for the Steelers, as he is a highly productive player who is still in his prime. His potential arrival would give the Steelers a chance to compete immediately. His fiery and combative personality also fits the ethos of Pittsburgh. But the salary cap will be a stumbling block as the Steelers, according to Spotrac, are estimated to have only $3.9- $5 million in cap space in 2027.

However, they also have a few other players on their current rosters who are going to be free agents next offseason. Spencer Anderson, Joey Porter Jr., and Patrick Queen. Even if the team is to readjust a few contracts, it is difficult to imagine they can re-sign all three of them and then proceed to make a few other acquisitions.

Certainly, with Rodgers retiring at the end of the season, they will have around $25 million in cap-space available. However, for a player like Mayfield, who is already making $33.6 million, it is difficult to imagine that he will take a pay cut, especially as a free agent QB.

The Steelers have already made some big extensions this offseason, with over $149 million spent on Nick Herbig and Darnell Washington. There are reports that suggest Keeanu Benton and Joey Porter Jr. could be next. With all these moves, it is highly unlikely that the Steelers will be able to afford Mayfield.

The reason that these speculations exist in the first place is that Mayfield and Tampa appear to be at a contract impasse currently. However, with the cap space situation, the only way the Steelers can add Mayfield is via a trade. The possibility of that happening seems unlikely with Rodgers there for another season.

While Mayfield’s situation in Tampa remains complicated, the Buccaneers will be hoping to find a resolution soon, as they would not want to lose their QB as a free agent.

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers try to work out their future amid a rich streak of success

Despite all the talk about the impasse, there is no doubt that Mayfield has been a great fit in Tampa. While he wants to stay with the Buccaneers, their valuation of a contract is nowhere close to his expectations.

“Contract stuff is happening, starting talks and whatnot. But not anywhere close to what we were thinking,” said Mayfield to the media. “We’d love to be here long term, and as of right now, that’s not exactly the case. I’m under contract for 2026. Obviously, yes, I would love to have a long-term deal done. But they know my deadline. As soon as training camp starts, we’re not doing any contract stuff.”

Mayfield and the Buccanners have found ample success together. In 51 regular-season games, Mayfield has thrown for 12,588 yards, 95 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions. He’s been one of the most productive QBs in the league in the last three seasons. The Bucs have also found team success as they won the NFC South in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024 with Mayfield under center.

However, the lack of playoff success is what is probably holding the franchise back. His only postseason win in Tampa came in 2024, when the Buccaneers won against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mayfield gives the Bucs reliability. He has not missed a single game for the franchise and has thrown over 3,500 yards in each of the seasons. If the two parties cannot reach an agreement, the best option would be to franchise tag Mayfield. While this would cost the franchise about $50 million, it would give them stability and an additional year to work out the cap space they need to offer Mayfield a long-term deal.