Baker Mayfield has never exactly needed extra motivation. Now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback appears to have plenty of it coming from multiple directions.
Mayfield enters the 2026 season without the lucrative contract extension he wanted, openly admitting that the Buccaneers left him feeling "disrespected" and "undervalued" during negotiations. And waiting for him in Tampa Bay's home opener is the franchise responsible for one of the biggest slights of his NFL career.
The Cleveland Browns are coming to Raymond James Stadium in Week 2.
Yahoo Sports brought renewed attention to that matchup Sunday, writing on X that Mayfield "has had this game circled for a while."
Considering everything surrounding Mayfield right now, Sept. 20 suddenly feels like much more than another early-season game.
Baker Mayfield Gets Another Shot At Browns
Cleveland selected Mayfield No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, and his time with the organization eventually ended with the Browns moving on from him following the 2021 season.
Mayfield has faced Cleveland only once since leaving.
That came in his first game with the Carolina Panthers in 2022, when the Browns escaped with a 26-24 victory. Tampa Bay's Week 2 meeting with Cleveland will therefore give Mayfield another opportunity against the organization where his NFL career began.
ESPN specifically highlighted the matchup when Tampa Bay's schedule was released, noting that it will be just Mayfield's second game against his former team.
And Mayfield enters this one in a dramatically different place.
After bouncing from Cleveland to Carolina and then the Los Angeles Rams, Mayfield resurrected his career in Tampa Bay. He earned Pro Bowl selections in 2023 and 2024 and helped the Buccaneers win consecutive NFC South titles.
Now there is tension with the franchise that helped revive him.
Buccaneers Contract Drama Adds Another Layer
Mayfield is entering the final season of the three-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2024.
The 31-year-old made his frustration unmistakable after the two sides failed to reach another agreement before his self-imposed deadline.
"Just feeling disrespected a little bit," Mayfield said in July while discussing the negotiations. "And that's really the disappointing part, to feel undervalued after thinking you've earned it."
Mayfield also said Tampa Bay's offer was "pretty far" from the $50 million annual value he believes reflects his standing among NFL quarterbacks.
That makes 2026 fascinating.
Every major Mayfield performance now doubles as evidence in a contract argument. Every loss will inevitably fuel questions about Tampa Bay's hesitation.
And then there is Cleveland.
The Browns once decided Mayfield wasn't their long-term answer. Now Tampa Bay must eventually make its own decision about him.
When Cleveland walks into Raymond James Stadium in September, Mayfield may have something to prove to both franchises at the same time.
