The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have determined to maintain vast receiver Mike Evans within the fold for a pair extra years, saying an settlement on an extension Monday. Now Baker Mayfield is sitting round ready for that very same name or textual content from his agent with the identical information Evans acquired. It solely is smart after the duo’s first yr collectively, which wound up going significantly better than anybody exterior their facility might’ve imagined. Actually, until the Buccaneers have a clear-cut higher possibility, it’d be insane in the event that they didn’t deliver Baker again.
“This can be a good signal for Bucs offense. You don’t signal Mike Evans should you don’t plan on signing Baker Mayfield.” – Keyshawn Johnson
It truly is superb the distinction one journey across the solar could make. This time final yr no one (not even Baker) knew what the long run would maintain for Mayfield. Final spring, he was coming off a marketing campaign the place he’d managed to win simply two video games in stints with two groups and his inventory was most likely the bottom it’d ever been. He bounced again in 2023 proving his detractors (together with me) improper by main Tampa to a division title and making his first Professional Bowl.
So, Mayfield has earned a brand new contract from the Bucs after which some. It gained’t set the market or break any information, but it surely makes much more sense realizing that Evans is coming again. Evans’ future was up within the air coming into the offseason, however with the announcement of his extension, you’d suppose the franchise would wish to hold this good factor getting into that depressing NFC South division.
Tampa actually got here out of nowhere to win the division with a 9-8 document final season. There weren’t many who predicted them ending with a profitable document particularly as soon as it was confirmed that the quarterback battle in coaching camp could be between Mayfield and Kyle Trask. Some even questioned whether or not Mayfield might beat out Trask in camp. Effectively, he did that and extra.
Now it’s time to provide him his due. That doesn’t imply the Bucs ought to go overboard on the deal, however he deserves an extension, nonetheless. Johnson hit the nail on the pinnacle on “Undisputed” Monday morning. Maintaining Evans means Tampa Bay ought to be inclined to do the identical with Mayfield. With the beginning of the brand new league yr simply across the nook (March 13), we should always know extra about Mayfield’s future in Tampa, or elsewhere, quickly. Nonetheless, with different groups, like division rival Atlanta, displaying curiosity, the Bucs brass shouldn’t wait too lengthy.
Until the Bucs have one thing up their sleeve in free company or on the commerce market, anticipate Baker’s NFL dwelling to be in Tampa Bay for the foreseeable future. Of the highest free-agent QBs in the marketplace this offseason, Mayfield ranks third based on Professional Soccer Focus, sitting behind solely Kirk Cousins (1) and Ryan Tannehill. If Cousins wasn’t coming off an Achilles harm, he’d be possibility for Tampa, but it surely’d be onerous to promote him over Mayfield proper now to that fan base.
Perhaps Tannehill would have been a significantly better possibility a few years in the past however at this level, he’s most likely not the man you wish to hitch your wagon to. The Bucs might discover a QB within the draft, which might be sensible anyway, however the odds of a rookie QB coming in and overthrowing Mayfield are slim. Twelve months in the past, it might’ve sounded loopy, however at the moment Baker Mayfield is the most suitable choice the Bucs have for an additional profitable season. Now, we simply sit again, wait and see if the group makes the precise name.
