What happened: Tampa Bay completed contracts for Tristan Wirfs, Zyon McCollum, Luke Goedeke, Vita Vea and Baker Mayfield across the past three summers. Each agreement landed between the start of training camp and Week 1.
Why it matters: The pattern undercuts the notion that camp opens a hard cutoff for negotiations. Mayfield’s agreement removes a 2027 free-agent question as Tampa Bay begins the regular season.
By the numbers: Mayfield’s three-year, $165 million extension averages $55 million annually and runs through 2029.
What to watch: The next marker is whether Tampa Bay uses the same negotiating window when other core players approach contract years.