Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings says Baker Mayfield needs to be more direct with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the quarterback approaches the final year of his contract—pointing to a stalled extension and the business side of negotiations.
Baker Mayfield is about to enter the final year of his current Tampa Bay Buccaneers deal, and Greg Jennings doesn’t think the moment calls for patience.
On Wednesday’s edition of “First Things First,” the former Green Bay Packers wide receiver—who spent most of his NFL career in the NFC North—told Mayfield to stop trying to handle the contract situation with politeness and push harder with his approach.
“Baker needs to stop being the nice guy right now, and play ball. It is a business. Sit. Where are they going to, Jake Browning?” Jennings said.
The timing matters. The Buccaneers have not offered Mayfield an extension contract, even as the 2026 NFL season is still months away. Mayfield, as Jennings framed it, wants to get paid big—but the needle hasn’t moved yet on that front.
On the money already on the table, Mayfield is scheduled to earn $27 million in 2026, with a cap number of $39.975 million. If the Buccaneers decide to franchise tender him later, the cost would jump to $47.97 million, as calculated by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Jennings’ message lands against a backdrop that makes the negotiation feel personal. The Buccaneers previously signed Mayfield to a three-year, $100 million contract. And through three seasons with Tampa Bay, Mayfield has delivered substantial production: 12,237 passing yards, 95 touchdowns and 37 interceptions across 51 starts. He’s also led the team to two NFC South Division titles.
Jennings’ push, then, isn’t about questioning whether Mayfield can play. It’s about what comes next when a quarterback is performing, yet still waiting for the kind of contract recognition that changes everything.
Mayfield knows the stakes too. Taken first overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft, he has built his case in Tampa—but the Buccaneers’ lack of an extension offer keeps the spotlight fixed on a simple question: how long does “business” wait before it turns into leverage?
MISRYOUM Buccaneers Baker Mayfield Greg Jennings NFL contract extension franchise tag Mike Florio 2026 season