Who Should I Start? Baker Mayfield or J.J. McCarthy

Tuesday, July 21, 10:16 AM

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.