No 2024 Contract Discussions For Baker Mayfield
November 16th, 2023
“Look, Glazer, I call the football shots around this place. I don’t care if you think Baker is a mensch.”
So many fans and media are focused on next season and roster building — with the Bucs at midseason and in a Super Bowl hunt.
It drives Joe a little wacky.
Sure, Joe falls into that trap, too. But Joe at least tries to stay in the glorious midst of football season. The many months without games are not what Joe wants to think about. Those are painful times every year that make August through January so extra sweet.
Joe got philosophical like this yesterday when Baker Mayfield was asked if he has had any discussions with the Bucs about returning for the 2024 season. Mayfield could become a free agent when the new NFL fiscal year starts in March.
Mayfield said he is unaware of any talks about a new contract and he’s just focused on winning one week at a time.
Obviously, it’s way too early for the Bucs to be talking to Mayfield about a new deal. First, he’s not tearing up the league, though he has played well. And second, the Bucs don’t know who their head coach will be next season.
It will be very interesting to see how the Bucs approach Mayfield and what his market might be.
If Mayfield keeps playing like he has, he will have done essentially everything the Bucs have asked of him. So if the team lets him walk after that, then Joe will wonder what the point was of signing Mayfield in the first place.
November 16th, 2023 at 9:49 am
Little early for that since BM only got a 1 year contract to start with.
November 16th, 2023 at 9:51 am
He still has plenty of time to fall off of the good QB wagon.
November 16th, 2023 at 9:52 am
Mayfield will be signed. Buccaneers will draft a quarterback in round two or three. Trask may be cut.
November 16th, 2023 at 9:55 am
Here we go with the head coach thing again. It takes more than two seasons to put a team together. If they dump the coach every second year there will never be any continuity. If they’re smart they will keep the coach, this one or another, for five years. Asking players to learn a new system every other year is just stupid and blind.
As to Mayfield, he’s been here one half of a year. Couldn’t this discussion wait until after the season ends? I don’t see any rush here!
November 16th, 2023 at 9:59 am
No what is stupid is keeping a bad coach for sake of “continuity”. If you made a bad decision you fix it. No matter how many times you make it, you keep trying to fix it.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:08 am
I kind of agree with John Sinclear. As many bone-headed mistakes Bowles has made, he appears to be learning from them. IMO, he still needs to be a little more cutthroat when I comes to player evaluations. As far as Baker goes, if he had a run game he would appear to be a better QB. I’m leaning towards drafting the best road graders and running back(s) possible and see where this goes.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:23 am
If they are not talking contract with Evans I don’t think they would with Mayfield. Especially on a Prove It Deal just half way thru.
Demand was low for Mayfield in 2023 and his Value was down.
2024 Free Agent QB’s on his Tier are Tanahill, Winston and Minshew.
Colts and Titans have their Guy and Saints already have a lot of $$$ invested in a Bum. QB supply will be Low so Mayfield’s value may increase. Have to be buyers though.
Sidebar. Was it Joe that asked Mayfield the Bosa question?
Didn’t seem to rattle him but looked like he remembered the 2 sacks and 5 times he got knocked down that day. Browns put a ton of money into that Browns O Line the year before, were top’s in the league, and got destroyed by the Niner’s that day.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:27 am
Think we need to see how Shake n Bake finishes the season. We have some very winnable games against Falcons, Panthers x2, Colts, Packers and some tougher ones against 49ers, Saints, Jaguars.
If he sucks in the winnable games vs dominating, that’s very telling
If he can’t play well enough to get us over the edge (ie Eagles) or be the reason we upset 49ers, Jags then that’s very telling as well.
Is he just a stop gap or a top QB on the right team w/ right OC? Those questions need answering to determine what price range we offer a deal anyway. IMO
November 16th, 2023 at 10:36 am
I’m with Couch Fan on this one. Bowels is not a good HC. He showed it with the Jets and with us the past two years. He plays not loose, rarely to win. What scheme is he running that the players don’t understand? It’s hard to even identify a scheme beyond running behind the weakest part of our line continually. We have a coach who thinks it is a good idea to keep your timeouts in your pocket like some kind of reward. I will give him credit for finally holding a meeting with his defense and actually letting him know what could be the problem.What took him so long to understand that the strength of any organization rests with ideas of your workers? Toad has earned the right not to be a HC.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:36 am
Super Bowl hunt? Did you really just say that? Do you really believe that? We beat crap teams and then any team with a pulse has stomped us. It would not surprise me if we have the easiest schedule in the NFL. I sometimes wonder what game you’re watching. You often refer back to the den of depression, do you know why that kept happening? Because we kept winning six or seven games and getting crappy draft picks and ending up with players that were not impactful and we could never get a franchise quarterback. It sounds like you want to head back down that road.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:46 am
I agree with Buddah , I just hope they draft a quarterback in the first round. With the amount of dudes coming out in the draft you won’t need to be in the top three picks to get a good prospect, even if we win the division and are drafting from the same position as the last year they can move up a few spots to get their guy if they need to.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:48 am
John Sinclear Says
“If they’re smart they will keep the coach, this one or another, for five years.”
Not this coach. Please. Gotta be the right coach.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:53 am
If you really believe in him, go for it. If we win the division we will NOT be in a position to draft a top QB. And unless you believe Trask is the future, or that there is another QB FA you might chase, I’d say it is a risk well taken.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:58 am
I have heard an interesting explanation that explains many of the puzzling actions that have taken place this year and it’s all about business. Basically , We are broke , our credit cards ,( cap space), are maxed out for the next two years , with many contracts that are expiring and limited funds to bring back players that We want to bring back , much less acquire new players in trades , free agency or the draft , so , it’s going to require some creative personnel management to get thru these next two years and come out with a competitive team at the other end , that explains many of the moves that have been made , the Quarterback position being one of the most visible, so , why let Gabbert go , Keep Trask , acquire Mayfield and Wolford ? Again , money is the reason, they want to keep Trask , he is thought of as the future and he still has two years on his low cost rookie contract, Gabbert was too expensive as a backup and it was time to let Trask learn as the backup, Mayfield was brought in as a stopgap , a cheap experienced qb on a one year contract to fill the void , if he plays relatively well , he gets his bargaining power back at the end of the year for whatever team wants to take a chance on him but Tampa will still be in no position to pay him a starters salary for an average performing qb ,so more than likely he will not be renewed , Next Year Trask will be the starter backed up by Wolford for about the same low cost they are paying Mayfield alone and will get them through the cap hell , if Trask and Wolford work out We would then be set for years to come at Quarterback and backup, if not there would be the draft and more promising rookies with rookie contracts to be had, it is kind of cold but business always is.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:03 am
I still say Baker doesn’t make it through the season. He might not survive the beating he takes Sunday. Trask has one year left, Baker has no years left. It’s a QB league, and look at the injuries this year. Many starters have missed many games already. The Bucs would be wise in a deep draft to get a signal caller in the 1st round on a rookie deal. Even if Baker is resigned, the position needs a major upgrade.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:18 am
Please don’t resign baker he’s been good but if you’re small AND slow this is not a good recipe for long term success.
Don’t have to look forward to next season Bucs we suck. We are mini coaches and gm’s. General magnets have to look beyond this season
November 16th, 2023 at 11:26 am
“though he has played well”…….huh??? 2 ok games against terrible defenses. Ok are we really lowering the bar for QBs that much. This guy is not a short term or long term consideration at all. He hasn’t had one game this year that told me this guy could be really good.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:27 am
Still early. Its likely in everyone’s best interest to let it all play out. You bring Baker back if you can, and if its too expensive, you get an ok compensatory pick for a qb salary. Would I give Baker $20 million before Diva- absolutely. Winfield-maybe. Wirfs- NO. Evans- I will get back to you.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:37 am
If they re-sign Mayfield…well, that is going to be a truly huge issue for me. My streak of not missing games will likely come to an end.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:40 am
Hodad Says
“I still say Baker doesn’t make it through the season. He might not survive the beating he takes Sunday. Trask has one year left, Baker has no years left. It’s a QB league, and look at the injuries this year. Many starters have missed many games already. The Bucs would be wise in a deep draft to get a signal caller in the 1st round on a rookie deal.”
This.
And baker winning 40% of his games by the end of the year is going to push us further and further down in the draft order…mortgaging our future.
My biggest, number one issue with Mayfield…is that he is not good enough to get us a championship, but he can win just enough games to keep us from getting a good QB in the draft.
November 16th, 2023 at 12:19 pm
Craig, the opposite is also true. O-line improves and finds a running game, competitors have team injuries and the Bucs don’t, situational play calls improve, penalties are reduced…there are tons of good things that can happen and Mayfield ends up in the Pro Bowl. I get it, you don’t like Mayfield. Obviously I do. Bet Tampa Bay fans hope I’m right and you are wrong.
November 16th, 2023 at 12:20 pm
I think mayfield will be fine if he can just make it through NEXT Sunday.
After that, who knows, Buc’s got no $, Could see them trying to persuade both Mayfield and Evans to stay on for a yr or 2. If mayfield finishes up on current pace, he’ll be playing somewhere next yr.
All this talk about drafting a QB in first round is not even close to guaranteeing any type of success. They need help all over the place, more so than QB.
Have a good chance to win division, hopes not high this wkend.
November 16th, 2023 at 12:25 pm
The lack of perspective here is baffling. How many collective hours does it take to get an entire unit running on the same page? Hundreds! People need to understand that next year, this unit will come out of the gate leagues ahead of the others in the division…if..the core returns relatively intact. Look at the lions..they stayed the course with Campbell . They built their line. Got a running game. Goff flourishing. Baker is more than capable to elevate this team…patience..think two years ahead, not two games.
November 16th, 2023 at 12:37 pm
The Bucs asked midfield to lose multiple winnable games and have a losing record in the worst division of the NFL? Then yes he’s done everything they’ve asked of him Joe
November 16th, 2023 at 12:41 pm
B Bonzai, why do you say Baker winning 40% of his games? He is 1 of 11 on the offense. Did you never play the game? Not a single game TB has lost was due to quarterback play and no other factors. 0. Constantly in 3rd and very long. Dropped passes at critical downs. If he was QB at Dallas, they would be in the Super Bowl.
November 16th, 2023 at 12:46 pm
Hilarious how Bonzai seems to think a 40% winning percentage looks bad on Mayfield when the franchise he was drafted to went 1-32 (3%) the previous 2 years.
Comical!
November 16th, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Joe says,
“If Mayfield keeps playing like he has, he will have done essentially everything the Bucs have asked of him. So if the team lets him walk after that, then Joe will wonder what the point was of signing Mayfield in the first place.”
1. Baker was hired by the Toilet Bowl since he didn’t draft Trask.
2. If Mayfield keeps playing like what ?? We are 4-5 with a losing record and he hasn’t defeated any good team yet.
3. He did not even beat Trask in the training camp. Toliet Bowl said Trask will start a gainst Jets followed by Baker. Trask played well and Baker never played in that game. That was a good indication of a mocked scam competition by liar coach.
4. Super Bowl talk Joe ?? LOL. Bucs be lucky to win the NFL toilet bowl divsion first.
November 16th, 2023 at 1:01 pm
I’ve watched a lot of losing football with losing quarterbacks, not as a Tampa fan but as a Cleveland Brown fan. Mayfield is a top-half to top-12 QB. That can be enough, not for many fans here but you can win like that. Following new Browns developments a lot of fans up here in Cleveland wish we the Browns would have kept their draft picks and Baker Mayfield, that’s certainly true today with the Watson fiasco. Mayfield will probably be starting somewhere next year, maybe not Tampa but somewhere. All I can say to you fans is that Trask is not the guy. He would already be playing if he had franchise talent. His and your best hope is that he eventually develops in the talent tier of Baker Mayfield. So with a little luck you can get rid of Mayfield and hopefully Trask reaches close to your current talent level. It took the Browns 32 quarterbacks to bridge between one winner to the next.
November 16th, 2023 at 1:04 pm
They signed him to appease a lame-duck HC. If Mayfield had cost anything more than 4-8 mil they would have told Bowles to pound sand. He was cheap so they threw Bowles a bone.
November 16th, 2023 at 1:10 pm
Baker has been a decent stop gap for $4M. I will not be happy if we designate $20-30M of our cap to him moving forward. He’s a middling QB and can’t carry a team on his own.
This QB draft class is historic. You have to take a chance on one of them.
November 16th, 2023 at 1:37 pm
Careful what you wish for…..moving on from a top 15 can easily turn into dealing with a bottom 5 QB for years
You absolutely sign Mayfield if he keeps preforming well, you’d be an idiot not to….if he falls off for whatever reason then that’s when you move on.
November 16th, 2023 at 1:51 pm
Cleveland fans if Baker was a top 12 qb at the time, he wouldn’t get his butt kicked out of Cleveland and the fans wouldn’t boo his ass in stadium. He has had worst QB ratings in NFL in 2021 & 2022.
Yep he is really good.
November 16th, 2023 at 1:55 pm
David Says: Those are all lies and if I felt like writing a 100 words I’d tell you why. So either you are wrong and don’t care to get the truth or your just a liar so good luck with that.
November 16th, 2023 at 2:01 pm
David Says:
Cleveland fans if Baker was a top 12 qb at the time, he wouldn’t get his butt kicked out of Cleveland and the fans wouldn’t boo his ass in stadium. He has had worst QB ratings in NFL in 2021
—
Well they could tell you for like the 22nd time he playd inhured in 2021 which EVERYONE but traskies know as fact
but why would 22 be the magical number you would finally process the information?
November 16th, 2023 at 2:25 pm
But wait, the Baker Bois told me a new deal was basically done already, and the Bucs were tripping over themselves to lock him up.
You mean to tell me that they’re fake news, and were just lying to me?
No way.
November 16th, 2023 at 2:32 pm
Meanwhile, ignoring the Baker Bois and their fake news nonsense they constantly spit.
For Baker, it will depend on how he plays down the stretch. All offseason I had the team pegged as a 5 or 6 win team — AND had them at exactly 4-5 at this point. The Bucs are 2-5 over their 7, and almost certainly about to be 2-6 over their last 8.
If the Bucs do end up, lets say, going 6-11 after starting out 3-1, then that means Bowles is fired, and Baker gets the boot.
But if the Bucs rebound from their current collapse, and get to 10-7, and make the playoffs, then Bowles isn’t getting fired, and that would also mean that Baker probably did just enough to earn a new one-year deal.
It’s all up to Bowles and Baker at this point, and if you think you’re in good hands with those two… well, we shall see how it plays out.
November 16th, 2023 at 3:24 pm
Tbbucs3 Says:
November 16th, 2023 at 12:46 pm
Hilarious how Bonzai seems to think a 40% winning percentage looks bad on Mayfield when the franchise he was drafted to went 1-32 (3%) the previous 2 years.
Comical!
Imagine how well Mayfield would look if the Glazer’s could have pumped an addition 76 Million over the previous year into team the year he came here.
Blame everyone but baker for the record here but give him all the credit there.
Money turned it around at Cleveland and they will probably make the playoffs with a rookie finishing the season.
November 16th, 2023 at 4:04 pm
Bucs fans are completely delusional…
Complain about Winston cause he had elite production but too many turnovers. Not good enough.
Now you get very good production and hardly any turnovers with Baker….still not good enough.
Pretty high expectations for a franchise that’s witnessed the likes of Freeman, McCown, Chris Simms and Mike Glennon.
Even after decades of QB irrelevance the only thing that seems to satisfy them is literally the greatest football player ever…..pretty sure 2021 Brady isn’t walking through that door.
But I have to guess that if Trask was doing what Baker is currently doing many of those complaining about Mayfield wouldn’t say a peep.
November 16th, 2023 at 4:09 pm
Midfield had a stacked team in Cleveland. He still sputtered and was let go…now he has a stacked team in Tampa and its more of the same… minus a top tier run game to add points for him and save his career. Bucs squeak out 20 points a game… wow baker is really lightning it up. Sign him to five more years.
November 16th, 2023 at 4:17 pm
Baker may not be top tier but he sure has true grit. I give him credit for standing in there even under heavy pressure. And when forced out of the pocket he runs better than I expected. His major fault in my opinion is being inconsistent with his passing accuracy. And not throwing more often to his money receivers. He has made Otton a bigger part of the Bucs receivers at tight end tho.
November 16th, 2023 at 4:22 pm
TB Bolts
Please tell me what’s “stacked” about this current Bucs team
Is it the 4th worst pass defense?
Dead last running game?
Joe Tryon, Ryan Neal, Carlton Davis?
Mike Evans alone doesn’t = a “stacked” team.
Stick to hockey
November 16th, 2023 at 4:57 pm
Ah the cables first round QB pick. Always infallible eh. Like that time we took a guy first overall a few years ago. What was his name again? I wonder what he’s doing now…
November 16th, 2023 at 5:37 pm
None of you lying Baker Bois have still addressed the fact you lied, saying the Bucs were wrapping up a new deal with Baker. You’re spreading fake news. You need to apologize for that or no one is going to take you seriously.
LOL! Just kidding, no one will take you seriously, period.
November 16th, 2023 at 6:05 pm
“Now you get very good production and hardly any turnovers with Baker….still not good enough.”
I think that’s where you lose people. I don’t consider averaging 220 yards passing and less than 20 points a game “very good production.”
In 2023 you need a high level QB to compete for a SB. I think most fans look at Baker as an average QB – he’s not going to win us a championship, so why invest $25M a year in him? When you have a historically hyped QB draft class, it would be malpractice to skip on one because you have the chance to re-sign Baker. You’re at overvaluing the guy. Nobody wanted him last year; we signed him for peanuts and he’s been serviceable, but nothing more.
November 16th, 2023 at 6:41 pm
TonySoprano
I would absolutely consider a 93 QB rating as “very good” which is 12th best among active starters.
Here’s what your missing since you and many others seem to think superstar franchise QBs grow on trees…..even in a deep QB class the odds are very unlikely that the Bucs draft a future top 5 or top 10 QB. Your more likely than not to swing and miss and Browns proved you can win in the playoffs with Mayfield if you build around him.
Even tho it’s a longshot, The Bucs still should draft a quarterback to develop behind Mayfield cause Trask is certainly not that guy.
November 16th, 2023 at 7:31 pm
All you Guys wanting to keep Mayfield. He is below average with Evans and Godwin healthy. You place Godwin and Evans on other teams offense they will blow up. Mayfield is not playing well against a erage or better defenses.
November 16th, 2023 at 7:33 pm
Tbbucs3
I’m not opposed to signing Baker to a 1-2 year extension as long as it’s cheap, but my guess is he wants $20M+ a year, which I don’t think he’s worth. We pay that, we’re now in the same position as the Saints with Carr (I bet they’d take a mulligan on that signing if given the chance).
Of course it’s a gamble to draft a QB, but you can say that about any position. And as Gretzky said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. So I’ll ask, what round should we draft a QB? It’s the most important position in all of sports, and the odds of landing a franchise QB drop astronomically after the first round. This is the year to take that swing.
November 16th, 2023 at 8:24 pm
Every word TonySoparno said.
November 16th, 2023 at 9:14 pm
To Joes point, why even sign Mayfield if he’s going to exceed expectations only to let him walk? Pretty sure the Bucs would love to have Mayfield return if he continues to play well.
It’s way to early to be even talking contract specifics for a potential Mayfield deal but he has absolutely passed the 1st half of season test and then some whether the Trask stans want to admit it or not….
Now it’s about what’s hes going to do in the 2d half of the year and how he plays will determine whether he returns of not. It’s simple If he takes a step back then you move on (I dont expect him to) but if he keeps playing well you resign him.
As far as the draft goes, assuming Drake Maye/Caleb Williams I would only take either Pennix or Bo Nix in the 1st round. If you wait till the 2d round go Jayden Daniels….pass on McCarthy.
November 16th, 2023 at 9:42 pm
Rod munch : per Jeremy Fowler, Bucs open to extension of baker ( per ESPN plus, today) I didn’t read it myself ( won’t pay for anything a woke company sells) but it was referenced by dead spin. Bucs have exclusive negotiating rights until march. They would be wise to act early and sign. Bakers stock will only rise against the likes of csrolina( twice ) Green Bay , Indy, Atlanta ….. thinking long term , a derek Carr ish deal , backloaded, with a nice signing bonus should work, that is cap friendly and helps team with needs.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:30 pm
I’m all in favor to resign Baker Mayfield to a back-up QB contract. We won’t go anywhere with Mayfield at the helm, mediocre ain’t gonna do it. In this league a team has to have great QB play, not average.
November 16th, 2023 at 10:44 pm
Tbbucs3 Says:
As far as the draft goes, assuming Drake Maye/Caleb Williams I would only take either Pennix or Bo Nix in the 1st round. If you wait till the 2d round go Jayden Daniels….pass on McCarthy.
———
Doesn’t Pennix have an injury history? See this is what I see a lot from some people. They are all translating deep draft into magical draft where there are a load of guaranteed generationally great Qbs.
the same crowd that is anti Baker is the crowd that wants THE guy – the superstar generational player you don’t have to build around – basically the next Brady or maybe Stroud. The most sure fire guys for that are gone by the time the Bucs pick.
Personally I don’t really care strictly as a Baker fan . I am not convinced Baker will even want to reup with the Bucs
November 16th, 2023 at 10:50 pm
Let ‘em bake Says:
a derek Carr ish deal , backloaded, with a nice signing bonus should work, that is cap friendly and helps team with needs.
——
Even as a Baker fan mentioning Carr as a reference to a contract has me pulling back.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:45 pm
TonySoprano Says:
I don’t consider averaging 220 yards passing and less than 20 points a game “very good production.”
———–
Oh now, now you’ve done it, you’ve triggered them… Good luck, I’ll be praying for you.
November 16th, 2023 at 11:47 pm
BAKER4EVER! BUCS WIN THE SUPERBOWL, GIVE BAKER A NEW 8-YEAR $500-MILLION CONTRACT! CALLING IT NOW! BAKER4EVER! DON’T DOUBT IT, JUST WAIT AND SEE! ALL HE NEEDS IS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TO MAKE IT COME TRUE!
#TEAMPOSITIVE!
November 17th, 2023 at 1:02 am
Signing baker to a 1-2 year deal makes perfect sense. Who are we going to get this off-season who presents a significant short-term improvement?
Sure we can grab a rookie in the first round, but that won’t be an upgrade over BM until mid-season at best (and the potential risk of not being an upgrade at all).
BM is probably not the long term answer, but he may well end up being the best available option for the time being.