Baker Mayfield Fantasy Stats

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell has emerged as a potential sleeper to draft in fantasy football this year, and now, quarterback Baker Mayfield is singing his praises. "He's much more than a gadget guy," Mayfield said about Gainwell, who signed with the Bucs this offseason after a year in Pittsburgh. "I've just been completely overwhelmed with the amount of talent that he has." The veteran quarterback also made a point to shout out Gainwell for his versatility on offense, where he contributes as both a receiver and ball-carrier. The stats back up that claim, too, as Gainwell caught 73 passes for 486 receiving yards in Pittsburgh last season. The Bucs signed Gainwell to join a backfield that also features Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker. While Irving is the clear No. 1 running back here, we expect to see Gainwell get plenty of volume, similar to his role with the Steelers in 2025. In Pittsburgh, he handled 114 carries and 73 receptions (187 touches) while teammate Jaylen Warren had 211 carries and 40 catches (254 touches). When all was said and done, the two backs combined for 441 touches, but Warren only had 67 more than Gainwell. Don't be surprised if we see Gainwell support Irving in the same way he did with Warren, which could allow him to rank as a top-24 running back in fantasy football once again. For now, he ranks as the RB37 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football draft rankings.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday that quarterback Baker Mayfield will play in the team's second preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. It will be a deviation from last year, when Mayfield didn't see any preseason action at all. Mayfield made headlines at the start of training camp when he had some negative things to say about the organization after they didn't seem too interested in getting a contract extension done with him before the start of camp. The 31-year-old former first overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2018 from Oklahoma made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons in Tampa in 2023 and 2024, but he battled through injuries for most of last year and saw his numbers regress, finishing with 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 17 starts to miss the postseason. In a new offense run by coordinator Zac Robinson, Mayfield and the Bucs are looking to bounce back, but it won't be easy without future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans. Going into his ninth year in the NFL, Mayfield's fantasy stock is down as a low-end QB2 with minimal upside.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that quarterback Baker Mayfield will not play in the team's preseason opener on Friday against the New York Jets, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Mayfield will not play, even though backup Jake Browning, who was expected to start on Friday, appeared to injure his back on Tuesday. It's no surprise that Mayfield won't play in the preseason contest this week after he didn't play at all in the preseason last year. The 31-year-old veteran was unhappy that the Bucs didn't try very hard to work out a contract extension with him before the start of training camp this summer, and he'll enter the final year of his deal with the team in 2026 with a chip on his shoulder as he looks to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign in which the team failed to make the postseason. Mayfield played all 17 games, but he wasn't 100% for most of the year, ending up with 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. In a new offense without future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans, fantasy managers shouldn't be viewing the veteran signal-caller as anything more than a low-upside, low-end QB2 in superflex leagues.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said he still views veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield as the team's franchise signal-caller, even though the two sides were unable to agree on a contract extension before the start of training camp this summer, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN. Tampa offered Mayfield a two-year deal, but he turned it down and felt disrespected by the organization. "We love Baker. Baker's in a great place right now. We're in a very good place," Licht said. The GM also acknowledged that using the franchise tag on Mayfield is an option for 2027. Mayfield gave the team a deadline of the start of training camp to get a deal done, but Licht said the Bucs have left the door open if Mayfield and his agent, Tom Mills, decide they want to resume negotiations. Whether the two sides eventually agree on an extension might come down to how Mayfield plays in 2026 after taking a step back in 2025 after back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in 2023 and 2024 in his first two years with the team. For fantasy purposes, Mayfield's arrow is pointing down after an injury-plagued year as he heads into his ninth year in the league in a new offense that won't feature Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans. He'll go undrafted in single-QB, 12-team fantasy leagues, and he's merely a low-end QB2 in superflex formats without a ton of upside in his age-31 season.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler writes that "it feels" as if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield "are on a collision course for the franchise tag" next season, which would pay him at least $47 million next year. Tampa could not get a deal with Mayfield done after offering two years and $100-plus million, and the veteran signal-caller has been very disappointed with the team's lack of interest in getting something done before training camp started. The last three Bucs players who received the franchise tag -- Antoine Winfield Jr., Chris Godwin Jr., and Shaquil Barrett -- all eventually got long-term deals. Another option would be to franchise tag Mayfield and trade him to a QB-needy team. If that were to happen, Fowler speculates that Mayfield could be a short-term option for the Los Angeles Rams after Matthew Stafford retires if they think Ty Simpson isn't quite ready. Mayfield has always played with a chip on his shoulder, but he'll have extra motivation in 2026. His dip in production last year could have been due to multiple injuries he played through, but fantasy managers should have their doubts about a rebound in 2026 now that future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans is no longer around.

ESPN's Adam Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are unhappy with quarterback Baker Mayfield's comments about the organization recently. This comes a day after Mayfield said he feels "disrespected" by his contract situation after trying to work out an extension with the team before training camp. However, the team has offered him a two-year deal worth slightly above $100 million, according to Schefter. Mayfield is heading into the final year of the three-year, $100 million deal that he signed with the Bucs in 2024. The 31-year-old wanted to get a deal done before training camp and will now focus solely on playing football. This could be Mayfield's final season with the Bucs, and it will be interesting to see how the situation plays out during the 2026 season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said he feels "disrespected" by his contract situation after trying to work out an extension with the team before the start of training camp, according to Pewter Report. The 31-year-old will head into the final year of the three-year, $100 million deal he signed with the Bucs in March of 2024 and looks set to hit free agency in 2027, unless the two sides can work something out during their exclusive negotiating window early next year. The Buccaneers will have the option to place the franchise tag on Mayfield, but that seems unlikely, especially if he takes another step back in 2026. Mayfield was a back-to-back Pro Bowler in 2023 and 2024 in his first two years with the team, but he threw for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 17 starts in 2025 as the team failed to make the playoffs. He was reportedly playing hurt for most of the year with various ailments. Mayfield will surely be motivated to step up this year, but without future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans and in a new offense, fantasy managers certainly have their doubts, as do the Bucs. RotoBaller has Mayfield ranked as the No. 20 fantasy QB in 2026. UPDATE: ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Mayfield said the Bucs offered him a two-year contract.

FOX Sports' Greg Auman reports that any talks of a new contract for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield are finished, and he will play the 2026 season on his current expiring deal. The two sides will revisit things before free agency next March. The Buccaneers will have the option to exercise the franchise tag on Mayfield for the 2027 season, but at a likely cost of around $50 million for one year. They will have an exclusive window to negotiate with him on a long-term extension before free agency starts in March. ESPN reported earlier on Tuesday that Mayfield and his agent have not made significant progress with the Bucs on a new deal. His current pay ranks 16th among QBs in terms of average pay at $33.33 million per year. The 31-year-old veteran said in May that if he didn't have a new contract by the start of camp, he didn't want to discuss one after that. Mayfield was a Pro Bowler in 2023 and 2024 and led the team to two straight playoff appearances, but he fell under the 4,000-yard passing mark in 2025 with 26 touchdowns and 11 picks in 17 starts, and his fantasy stock is trending down as a low-end QB2 option in suprerflex leagues without future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans in 2026 while learning a new offense.

There is still no public update on potential contract extension talks between Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and the team with veterans due to report Tuesday, July 28, according to Greg Auman. Auman noted that neither side has provided an update and that it remains unclear whether Mayfield's self-imposed deadline is the reporting date or Wednesday's first practice. The 31-year-old is entering the final season of the three-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2024. Mayfield said in June that the sides were not close and that he would stop discussing a new deal once training camp begins, but he also made clear that he remains committed to helping Tampa Bay in 2026. He completed 343 of 543 passes for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions last season while adding a career-high 382 rushing yards. Because Mayfield has said the contract issue will not change his commitment to the 2026 season, the unresolved talks matter more to his long-term dynasty outlook than his immediate redraft role.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated thinks that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield will reach a contract extension before Week 1 of the regular season in early September. Mayfield said in June that the two sides weren't close to a new deal and that he didn't want to negotiate after training camp started this summer. The Buccaneers made an official offer back in June, and the reality is that Mayfield's camp wasn't pleased with the offer and hasn't made a counteroffer yet. There hasn't been much progress since, but Breer reports that Tampa is "prepared to dive in on negotiations this week," with the first day of practice set for next Wednesday. The 31-year-old is due to make $40 million in 2026, the final year of a three-year, $100 million contract. Something in the range of $165 million over another three years for Mayfield makes the most sense. For fantasy purposes, the two-time Pro Bowler failed to reach the 4,000-yard passing mark for the third straight year in 2025 while battling through injuries. Better health should help him in 2026, but in a new offense without future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans, a bounce-back isn't guaranteed. Fantasy managers should treat Mayfield as more of a low-end QB2 in superflex formats for 2026.