Baker Mayfield and C.J. Stroud Deals Stalled as Quarterback Contract Market Drags On

At a time when deals are getting done around the league, sources indicated that there has been no serious momentum between the Texans or Buccaneers toward entering into a new pact with their quarterbacks ahead of the season.

We are still a month removed from the start of training camp, but it would require a major shift between the sides to get anything done at this point. 

Tampa quarterback Baker Mayfield has gone public with his frustration about the slow pace of initial talks, and, as SportsBoom hear it, no real progress has been made to this point.

Mayfield joining the upper echelon of quarterbacks could prove to be a stretch in Tampa, or elsewhere, with him currently right in the middle of starting quarterback compensation at a little over $30M per year. 

The team could always look at placing a transition or franchise tag on him in 2027, should it want to continue on a short-term basis with him while trying to identify a quarterback of the future.

“He doesn’t have as much leverage as he probably thinks he does,” one NFL contract negotiator told SportsBoom.us. 

Stroud May Have To Play It Out

The Texans are not showing any real urgency to secure CJ Stroud before the season begins, either. And executives around the NFL do not anticipate that changes much in the coming weeks. 

Short of Stroud’s camp putting a proposal on the table that catches their attention, this appears headed to the quarterback playing out the fourth year on his rookie deal.

Stroud’s play has declined since his rookie season, but he has displayed the type of high-end talent that could set him up for a massive payday in 2027, so agreeing to a team-friendly deal now, coming off a down season, doesn’t make much fiscal sense.

At this point, it would not be surprising if both quarterbacks played out the 2026 season.