TAMPA, Fla — Fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may remember when the biggest concern for the franchise was who would replace Tom Brady at quarterback.
What You Need To Know
- Baker Mayfield signed a new three-year contract with the Bucs
- He threw for a career-best 4,044 yards, for 28 touchdowns
- The financial terms of the deal were not released by the Bucs
Baker Mayfield came to town and settled those fears, and now he’s here to stay. The Bucs are getting their offensive band back together.
The team and quarterback agreed over the weekend to a new three-year contract worth $100 million and discussed it Wednesday during a news conference.
"I’m very thankful for this opportunity. We call Tampa home now," Mayfield said of his family.
Mayfield said he had heard good things about the organization and General Manager Jason Licht before he signed ahead of the 2023 season.
“None of those words were a lie,” he said. “Obviously, knew Coach (Todd) Bowles coming into it, got to know Jason pretty quicky. And just knowing the staff and the key pieces they had here were obviously a good look to try and sign here.”
The No. 1 overall pick from the 2018 draft threw for a career-best 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns last season while cutting down on costly mistakes that undermined previous stints with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams.
"We love his leadership," Licht said. "We love his ability on the field, but his leadership, his ability to rally the team, the city, the fan base has been surreal."
The agreement with Mayfield came just days after Tampa Bay finalized a two-year, $52 million deal with receiver Mike Evans, who also passed up an opportunity to test his worth in free agency. Mayfield said he is glad Evans and linebacker Lavonte David stayed in Tampa Bay.
"I’m a winner at heart," he said. "I hate losing. So, knowing that we get a lot of guys back and we can continue to build this for years to come, it’s a special thing."
"You play good ball and you trust the guys around you, good things will happen."