Full Transcript for Baker Mayfield Gets $165 Million Extension! Bucs Lock Up Franchise QB Through 2029

well, 34 00:02:28.550 --> 00:02:33.349 suddenly here we are. Three years, $ 165 million. Baker Mayfield 35 00:02:33.409 --> 00:02:37.090 is under contract through 2029. And according to Rick Stroud 36 00:02:37.159 --> 00:02:39.990 of the Tampa Bay Times, the deal averages $ 55 million per. 37 00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:45.849 That is serious QB money. And what I'm going to say, 38 00:02:45.930 --> 00:02:48.409 franchise quarterback money. So he got what he wanted and 39 00:02:48.449 --> 00:02:51.789 it makes Baker the highest paid player in Bucs history. 40 00:02:51.840 --> 00:02:54.259 But here's where I think the Bucs fans need to 41 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:58.300 separate the headline from the actual structure. The third year 42 00:02:58.620 --> 00:03:03.020 in underlying this one is not guaranteed. Baker gets $ 40 43 00:03:02.580 --> 00:03:05.960 million this season and he has $ 150 million in guarantees 44 00:03:06.020 --> 00:03:09.120 over the next three seasons. So this isn't necessarily Tampa 45 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:10.939 saying a Baker is going to be here no matter 46 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:14.639 what in 2029. It's Tampa saying, we believe strongly enough 47 00:03:14.759 --> 00:03:17.180 in Baker to make him one of the highest paid 48 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:20.669 QBs in football. And that's a very different statement from 49 00:03:20.689 --> 00:03:22.349 where we were a few months ago. You think about 50 00:03:22.370 --> 00:03:24.889 where this guy came from. You know, he arrived in 51 00:03:24.949 --> 00:03:28.509 Tampa in 23 on a one-year, $ 4 million prove-it deal. 52 00:03:29.030 --> 00:03:32.500 The Bucs had Kyle Trask in the building. Baker was, quote-unquote, 53 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:36.030 competing for the job. And now, Well, he's the franchise guy. 54 00:03:36.060 --> 00:03:38.789 He is the franchise QB. He has been to two 55 00:03:38.870 --> 00:03:40.949 Pro Bowls with Tampa Bay. He's led the Bucs to 56 00:03:40.990 --> 00:03:43.969 two NFC South titles. He has a playoff win. And 57 00:03:44.030 --> 00:03:47.250 he has established himself as among the better quarterbacks in 58 00:03:47.289 --> 00:03:50.710 franchise history. He's already third in Bucs history in passing 59 00:03:50.729 --> 00:03:54.189 touchdowns with 95, sixth in completions with 1,114, and seventh 60 00:03:54.219 --> 00:03:56.520 in passing with 12,237. It keeps rolling here. The superlatives. 61 00:03:56.539 --> 00:04:06.599 He also owns the franchise single-season record for completion percentage 62 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:10.939 and passer rating, both set in 2024. And that 2024 63 00:04:10.939 --> 00:04:16.560 season was ridiculous. 4,500 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes, career 64 00:04:16.579 --> 00:04:20.360 highs across the board. Now, obviously, 2025 didn't go the 65 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:23.800 way anyone wanted. The Bucs went 8-for-9 and missed the playoffs, 66 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:28.069 but that's exactly why this contract is interesting. Temper didn't 67 00:04:28.089 --> 00:04:30.790 look at the 8-9 season and decide Baker wasn't the guy. 68 00:04:31.350 --> 00:04:33.810 They looked at the entire body of work, and they 69 00:04:33.870 --> 00:04:38.850 still decided he was the answer. Jason Light said it himself, saying, quote, 70 00:04:38.870 --> 00:04:41.250 Baker is the heartbeat of this team, according to Rick 71 00:04:41.269 --> 00:04:43.860 Stroud from the Tampa Bay Times. That's the quote that 72 00:04:43.899 --> 00:04:46.720 jumps off the page, because that tells you this isn't 73 00:04:46.779 --> 00:04:49.399 simply about stats. The Bucs believe Baker's a part of 74 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:52.459 the identity of this team. And will Baker's comments about 75 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:54.639 the Bucs tell you why? He talked about the community, 76 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:57.680 talked about the people inside the building wanting to raise 77 00:04:57.699 --> 00:05:01.100 his family here. And I think that's something that's really important. 78 00:05:01.139 --> 00:05:04.040 He said, this feels like home. And that's different. That 79 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:06.579 is a QB who doesn't sound like he's simply passing 80 00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:09.870 through Tampa. He sounds invested in the place. And now 81 00:05:10.370 --> 00:05:13.769 the organization has made an enormous financial commitment to him. 82 00:05:14.370 --> 00:05:16.709 So what's the conclusion here? The Bucs have made their choice. 83 00:05:16.769 --> 00:05:19.269 They believe Baker gives them the best chance to win. 84 00:05:19.370 --> 00:05:22.730 And now there's nowhere to hide from that decision. If 85 00:05:22.769 --> 00:05:26.389 Baker plays well, everybody celebrates Jason Light for what is done. 86 00:05:27.420 --> 00:05:30.019 If he struggles, people are going to look directly at 87 00:05:30.100 --> 00:05:33.079 the contract. That's what happens when you become the highest 88 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:36.699 paid player in franchise history. The expectations go up, and 89 00:05:36.750 --> 00:05:40.189 that's where this gets really interesting. Because the contract isn't 90 00:05:40.230 --> 00:05:42.310 the end of the story, it's the beginning. In segment two, 91 00:05:42.329 --> 00:05:44.810 we're going to talk about what this team, for the 92 00:05:44.870 --> 00:05:46.750 rest of the Bucs roster, what it means for the 93 00:05:46.790 --> 00:05:49.689 rest of the roster. Because once you've paid Baker Mayfield 94 00:05:49.709 --> 00:05:53.910 like a franchise QB, you've got to build a franchise 95 00:05:53.970 --> 00:05:59.610 caliber team around him. That story, next. All right, welcome 96 00:05:59.649 --> 00:06:01.649 back into this edition of the Bucs MinuteCast. All of 97 00:06:01.670 --> 00:06:04.639 your Bucs news in 15 minutes or less. Bucs football 98 00:06:04.680 --> 00:06:07.500 lives here. So in segment two, now build the team 99 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:11.399 around him. Because Baker Mayfield's

contract puts the pressure right 100 00:06:11.439 --> 00:06:13.759 back on Jason Light and the Bucs to build a 101 00:06:14.259 --> 00:06:19.019 capable of winning team with him here. Because congratulations, you 102 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:21.889 have your quarterback. Now what? And this is where I 103 00:06:21.910 --> 00:06:24.509 think the Bucs fans should be excited and realistic that 104 00:06:24.529 --> 00:06:27.750 Tampa has made the commitment to Now the football operation 105 00:06:27.790 --> 00:06:30.089 has to make the rest of the decisions work. And remember, 106 00:06:30.509 --> 00:06:35.410 this isn't the same roster that Baker inherited in 23. Evans, Levante, David, 107 00:06:35.449 --> 00:06:38.930 the Bucs are in a transition period, trying to get younger, 108 00:06:39.389 --> 00:06:43.430 trying to rebuild the defense. And they're trying to establish 109 00:06:43.449 --> 00:06:46.110 what this team is going to look like beyond the 110 00:06:46.329 --> 00:06:50.009 Bruce Arians and Tom Brady era. That's why this contract 111 00:06:50.050 --> 00:06:52.850 matters so much. You're basically telling Baker, we believe you're 112 00:06:52.889 --> 00:06:55.170 good enough to be the centerpiece of the next version 113 00:06:55.189 --> 00:06:58.050 of this team. Okay, then go build it. And I 114 00:06:58.129 --> 00:07:01.949 actually think the timing of the contract is fascinating because 115 00:07:02.009 --> 00:07:05.370 the Bucs play Cincinnati on Sunday. What is it? You know, 116 00:07:05.689 --> 00:07:07.870 coming up this weekend. So Baker goes from having a 117 00:07:07.930 --> 00:07:12.230 contract situation hanging over him into week one, knowing exactly 118 00:07:12.290 --> 00:07:15.500 where he stands. That's huge from a football standpoint. He 119 00:07:15.509 --> 00:07:18.680 doesn't have to answer questions about the future anymore. Neither 120 00:07:18.699 --> 00:07:22.120 does Jason Light or Todd Bowles. The distraction is gone. 121 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:24.910 Now it's all ball. And that matters. because the Bucs 122 00:07:24.949 --> 00:07:28.250 team has some real questions. The defense has got to improve. 123 00:07:28.790 --> 00:07:33.149 That was obvious last season. Tapp finished, what, 8-9? The 124 00:07:33.189 --> 00:07:35.779 defense struggled in several major areas, and that's why the 125 00:07:35.819 --> 00:07:39.839 front office spent significant resources trying to change the personality 126 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:42.100 of the unit. They drafted who's going to be a 127 00:07:42.139 --> 00:07:45.959 huge player, Ruben Bain Jr., Josiah Trotter. They added veterans 128 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:49.500 like Alex Anzalone and Christian Roseboom. And the Bucs are 129 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:52.379 expecting players like Yaya Diaby to take another step, and 130 00:07:52.420 --> 00:07:55.810 that matters. Why? Because you can't pay Baker $ 55 million 131 00:07:55.850 --> 00:07:59.610 a year and expect to win shootouts every Saturday or Sunday. 132 00:08:00.829 --> 00:08:03.370 And that's not sustainable. You need the defense to help him, right? 133 00:08:03.410 --> 00:08:07.449 You need the offensive line to protect him. You need 134 00:08:07.490 --> 00:08:09.990 the running game to stay functional. And you need receivers 135 00:08:10.029 --> 00:08:13.149 to consistently create separation. And this is where I think 136 00:08:13.209 --> 00:08:17.269 Baker's deal could really simplify things. The Bucs know who 137 00:08:17.300 --> 00:08:20.339 their QB is. Now they can build with a plan. 138 00:08:20.540 --> 00:08:23.399 And Baker has already shown that with this offense is 139 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:26.939 functioning well, he can absolutely produce. The question isn't whether 140 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.620 he can throw the football. You know, we've all seen 141 00:08:29.660 --> 00:08:31.730 him do that. The question is whether Tampa can create 142 00:08:31.810 --> 00:08:35.889 enough consistency around him. Because that's what separates a quarterback 143 00:08:35.929 --> 00:08:38.950 contract from a winning team. You can have a $ 55 144 00:08:38.610 --> 00:08:41.370 million QB and still have a bad team. We've seen 145 00:08:41.409 --> 00:08:44.889 it across the league. The quarterback doesn't play defense. The 146 00:08:44.929 --> 00:08:48.830 quarterback doesn't block the pass or tackle anybody. and can't 147 00:08:48.889 --> 00:08:51.879 fix the roster problem. So no, Jason Light has to force, 148 00:08:52.580 --> 00:08:54.720 or excuse me, has to keep doing what he's been doing. 149 00:08:55.659 --> 00:08:58.799 And what is that? Let's drill down, find value, draft well, 150 00:08:58.840 --> 00:09:01.779 develop young players, and hit on the big decisions. Because, 151 00:09:01.799 --> 00:09:06.820 I mean, listen, Baker's contract consumes resources. That's the simple reality. 152 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:09.740 And that's not necessarily a bad thing. That if you 153 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:12.399 believe you've got your QB, you pay him. That's the 154 00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:14.940 price of doing business in the NFL. But now you 155 00:09:14.980 --> 00:09:16.960 have to maximize the money that's left, and I think 156 00:09:16.980 --> 00:09:19.100 that's where the Bucs are going to be judged over 157 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:22.919 the next few seasons. Not because Baker got $ 165 million, 158 00:09:22.950 --> 00:09:27.750 but because Tampa decided Baker was worth $ 165. That's the difference. 159 00:09:28.389 --> 00:09:29.970 And I want to go back to something Baker said 160 00:09:30.029 --> 00:09:32.389 before this deal was completed. He talked about not wanting 161 00:09:32.429 --> 00:09:36.049 the contract situation to become a daily distraction. He said 162 00:09:36.100 --> 00:09:38.080 he wanted to prevent it from lingering over the team, 163 00:09:38.279 --> 00:09:41.799 and now it's gone. It's good for everybody, I think, 164 00:09:41.860 --> 00:09:45.620 because this team has enough to worry about. There's a 165 00:09:45.659 --> 00:09:49.600 new offensive coordinator in Zach Robinson. There's a young quarterback 166 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:53.389 behind Baker and Jalen Daniels, a defense trying to prove 167 00:09:53.429 --> 00:09:56.269 it's better than it was last year, a new generation 168 00:09:56.289 --> 00:09:59.690 of players trying to establish themselves, and a division that 169 00:09:59.809 --> 00:10:02.929 isn't exactly waiting around for Tampa. So now we get 170 00:10:02.950 --> 00:10:05.960 to find out, was Baker Mayfield the missing piece, or 171 00:10:05.980 --> 00:10:08.980 was Baker Mayfield simply one piece of a much bigger puzzle? 172 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:11.139 I think it's the second one, and that's not an 173 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:14.100 insult to Baker. That is the reality. The QB can 174 00:10:14.120 --> 00:10:17.000 be the centerpiece without being the entire team and the Bucs. 175 00:10:17.639 --> 00:10:21.570 have now officially made Baker the centerpiece. So when Tampa 176 00:10:21.590 --> 00:10:23.870 walks into Cincinnati on Sunday, I don't want to hear 177 00:10:24.009 --> 00:10:27.049 anybody talking about the contract. I don't want to hear 178 00:10:27.070 --> 00:10:31.850 about negotiations or about whether Baker Mayfield felt disrespected. The 179 00:10:31.870 --> 00:10:35.070 book is closed. Now do what Baker says. Go play ball. 180 00:10:35.450 --> 00:10:40.070 Because the Bucs gave Baker Mayfield the kind of contract 181 00:10:40.470 --> 00:10:44.559 that tells you exactly what they expect. All right, once again, 182 00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:46.259 I want to thank you for joining me on this 183 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:48.679 edition of the Bucs Minicast. All of your Buccaneers news 184 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:51.029 in 15 minutes or less, and I'll talk to you 185 00:10:51.049 --> 00:10:51.590 again next time.