NFL Catchup: Baker Mayfield Gets Paid; Aaron Donald Won’t Travel To Australia

The 2026 NFL season has just about arrived, which led to one team doing one last bit of business before the start of the regular season. Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed to a massive contract extension on Tuesday. The deal will reportedly make Mayfield one of the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks as he was entering the final year of his current contract. Meanwhile, the Rams will be without Aaron Donald for their opener in Australia, and the Patriots will be missing a key piece of their backfield for Wednesday’s Super Bowl rematch. Here’s the latest from around the NFL on Tuesday. Baker Mayfield’s summer-long standoff with the Buccaneers is finally resolved. Tampa Bay and its quarterback have agreed to a three-year extension worth $165 million, ending months of speculation about his future, according to an ESPN report. The $55 million annual average puts Mayfield in a three-way tie for the third-richest per-year salary at the position, behind only Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott, and level with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, according to Spotrac. It’s a dramatic rise for Mayfield, who signed a one-year, $4 million “prove-it” deal with Tampa Bay back in 2023 before inking a three-year, $100 million extension in 2024. Since taking over the post-Tom Brady era, he’s gone 27-24 as a starter with two playoff berths, highlighted by a 2024 season in which he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. Injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin took some shine off last season’s numbers, but with his long-term future now settled, the focus turns to unseating the Panthers atop the NFC South. Aaron Donald won’t be making the trip to Melbourne. The Rams defensive tackle is officially ruled out for Thursday’s season-opening matchup against the 49ers, a decision that comes after he stayed noncommittal about his travel plans earlier in the week. Donald came out of retirement last month to rejoin Los Angeles, a decision he’s tied partly to the team’s trade for edge rusher Myles Garrett, which further bolstered a line already featuring Kobie Turner and Byron Young. With Donald unavailable, Garrett will lead the Rams’ front against San Francisco. Patrick Mahomes is back. Andy Reid confirmed Tuesday that the two-time MVP will start Kansas City’s opener against Denver on Monday, barring a setback, closing the book on his recovery from the ACL and LCL tears he suffered against the Chargers in Week 15. The return caps a nearly nine-month absence for Mahomes, who saw the Chiefs miss the playoffs for the first time in his career last season as the team stumbled to 6-11 without him. He’ll return to a retooled roster that includes new addition Kenneth Walker at running back, and immediately faces a loaded AFC West featuring Justin Herbert and Bo Nix. In 14 games last season, Mahomes completed 62.7% of his throws for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns and 11 interceptions — modest by his own standard, and now a benchmark he’ll look to clear as Kansas City tries to reclaim its division. New England will be shorthanded in the backfield for Wednesday night’s Super Bowl LX rematch with Seattle. TreVeyon Henderson has been ruled out after missing all three practices this week with an ankle injury first suffered on Aug. 24. Center Ben Brown (knee) was also ruled out, and no other Patriots carry an injury designation heading into the game. Henderson was a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year last season after leading New England in scrimmage yards and touchdowns — 911 rushing yards on 5.1 yards per carry with nine scores, plus 35 catches for 221 yards and a touchdown — and he didn’t miss a game as a rookie, making this a rare setback in his young career. Rhamondre Stevenson, who took over lead-back duties late in New England’s playoff run last season, is expected to step back into that role as the Patriots open their season on the road against the team that beat them in the Super Bowl.