The Buccaneers want Baker Mayfield back. Baker wants to remain a Buc.
And while it’s still the likely outcome, it apparently won’t happen until Mayfield gets a chance to see what else is, or isn’t, officially available to him.
Tampa Bay G.M. Jason Licht acknowledged that reality on Friday, the day the team formally announced the new contract signed by receiver Mike Evans.
“A lot of [the team’s pending free agents] know what the market is at this point,” Licht said Friday, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “I think the start of the negotiation period is really almost the same as the start of free agency, because they’re already talking and negotiating.
“So, as we get to Monday, any of our players that aren’t signed, it doesn’t mean they’re not coming back. It just means that maybe we’ve got an agreement that, hey, they’ll see what [their] worth [is]. We have a disagreement right now, and then let’s just try to work it out. We don’t want the player to be unhappy, either.”
In other words, the Bucs have an offer on the table, Mayfield believes it should be higher, and he’s going to see if something else is out there. As he should.
The one team to watch most closely is the Vikings. If Kirk Cousins leaves, Mayfield becomes a viable alternative. Minnesota witnessed his abilities in Week 1, when he led the Bucs into U.S. Bank Stadium for an upset win capped by a gritty, shoulder-lowering first-down run and a key third-down throw to Chris Godwin.
The question becomes for the Bucs (as it currently is for the Vikings and Kirk Cousins) whether the player will give his current team a chance to match the best offer another team makes. At some point, the player might be tempted to go to the place where he feels more wanted.
The Bucs, like the Vikings, know that they might need to move on to another quarterback.
“You always have to have — as [former Bucs head coach] Bruce [Arians] would say — to look behind Door 2 and 3 and 4 and 5,” Licht said. “So, yeah, we always feel like we need options. Yeah, we always have to have plans. We also like Door No. 2 that’s right here.”
He means Kyle Trask, who’ll enter the final year of his rookie deal. Which means that, if he’s the starter and he plays well, the Bucs will be in the same boat next year, with their starting quarterback having a one-way ticket to free agency.
While money is a big factor, as it should be, Mayfield could see another attraction or two in Minnesota. One, Justin Jefferson. Two, Mayfield won’t have to worry about losing his offensive coordinator (again) if things go well in 2024. Head coach Kevin O’Connell runs the offense, and he’s going nowhere if things go well.
We’ll see how it plays out. As of noon ET on Monday, the dominos start to fall. For now, it’s possible that Cousins goes to Atlanta and that the Vikings backfill with Baker.