Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is set to become a free agent next month, unless he and the Buccaneers agree to a contract extension before then. But Mayfield says he wants to know who his offensive coordinator would be before agreeing to remain in Tampa Bay.
“It all just kind of depends,” Mayfield told Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. “Obviously Tampa, we’re going though a little bit of a OC search right now. It’ll start there. They were the first ones that gave me a chance, and [I’m] thankful for them. We’ll see. Taking it one day at a time.”
Mayfield played well last year in the offense run by coordinator Dave Canales, but Canales has now left to become head coach of the Panthers, and Mayfield said the identity of Canales’ replacement could change his view on staying in Tampa.
“My agent and them, I think they engaged a little bit,” Mayfield said. “But obviously when Canales left -- and happy for him, as well, getting a head coaching job, he deserves that -- but when they started the OC search, I think they know that we’ve got to know who’s calling plays before anything’s done.”
Given how well Mayfield played in leading the Buccaneers to the divisional round of the playoffs, it’s hard to see any way the Buccaneers let him hit unrestricted free agency in March. If Mayfield doesn’t agree to a contract extension to stay in Tampa Bay, the Bucs can use the franchise tag to keep him. So Mayfield doesn’t necessarily have a lot of say in the matter, but he hopes the Bucs hire an offensive coordinator who runs the kind of offense where Mayfield can thrive.
