Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield faces a key contract year after setting a training camp deadline for negotiations. (Image via Getty)Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield did not need anyone else to make his contract situation louder. He already did that himself when he said the two sides are “not anywhere close” on a long-term deal.Then former NFL executive Pat Kirwan added the number Tampa Bay probably did not want attached to the conversation. His comparison was not Daniel Jones. It was Jordan Love. That changes the tone of the room fast.Baker Mayfield’s next deal could start with Jordan Love, not Daniel JonesKirwan, speaking on SiriusXM NFL Radio, said the Buccaneers may have to work from Love’s $55 million-per-year contract when negotiating Mayfield’s next deal, according to JoeBucsFan.That is where this gets uncomfortable for Tampa Bay. Mayfield is entering the final year of the three-year, $100 million deal he signed after reviving his career with the Buccaneers. He is no longer the cheap comeback story. He is the starting quarterback who helped stabilize the franchise after Tom Brady retired.Kirwan made the point bluntly. If Tampa Bay wants a three- or four-year extension, the conversation likely starts in the $50 million range. He also said Mayfield’s side probably is thinking, “you gotta get me into the fifties.”That line matters because it frames Mayfield’s leverage. Jones’ shorter deal does not help Tampa Bay much if Mayfield’s camp views Love and Jared Goff as cleaner comps. Kirwan pointed specifically to Love, asking whether the Green Bay Packers quarterback has done more than Mayfield.That is the kind of question agents love and teams hate.Mayfield is not a perfect case. He has not led Tampa Bay deep into January. The Buccaneers also missed the playoffs last season after an 8-9 finish, per Field Level Media. His second-half production also became a fair concern after a strong start to the year.Still, quarterback contracts rarely wait for perfect résumés. They follow the market. That market keeps telling teams the same thing: if you have a credible starter, you either pay early or pay more later.Baker Mayfield gave Tampa Bay a deadline, and the leverage is no longer quietMayfield has made the timeline clear. He told reporters that once training camp starts, contract talk stops.“It’s all ball,” Mayfield said, according to Field Level Media. That puts pressure on the Buccaneers before players report. Mayfield is under contract for 2026, so Tampa Bay does not have to rush blindly. But waiting carries risk. If Mayfield plays well, the price climbs. If the Buccaneers stumble, the franchise faces another messy quarterback decision with no clean exit.Mayfield also made it clear he wants to stay. He said his family has built roots in Tampa and wants to raise kids there. That matters, but it does not erase the money gap.The Buccaneers know what Mayfield gives them. He is tough, aggressive, and comfortable carrying a team when the offense gets thin. He also plays with enough volatility to make a $55 million-per-year deal feel dangerous.That is the real problem. Tampa Bay is not deciding whether Mayfield is good. It is deciding whether good is expensive enough to become scary.Kirwan’s Love comparison will not make Buccaneers fans comfortable. It should not. But it may be the closest thing to the truth in this negotiation.Mayfield’s camp has the market. Tampa Bay has the deadline. The next move decides whether this stays business or becomes the biggest distraction of the Buccaneers’ summer.