After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished first in the NFC South, made the playoffs, and got past the Wild Card round in 2023, keeping quarterback Baker Mayfield is apparently their top priority.
After five inconsistent and disappointing seasons, the former No. 1 overall pick finally put it all together by earning his first Pro Bowl nod and finishing in the top 10 in passing yards and passing touchdowns.
The days of Mayfield needing an opportunity seem to be over, as Emmanuel Acho said on FS1’s “Speak” that the Buccaneers “desperately” need him more than he needs them.
.@EmmanuelAcho: The Bucs desperately need Baker Mayfield more than Baker needs them. pic.twitter.com/9k3SWtVBg7
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) February 28, 2024
Mayfield finished the regular season with 4,044 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions, and it was the type of production many expected from him since he entered the NFL.
In the first round of the playoffs, he threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns with no picks as Tampa Bay destroyed the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles, 32-9.
Mayfield is set to secure a big bag in free agency next month, but one thing complicating the Buccaneers’ efforts to retain him is the fact that star wide receiver Mike Evans will also be a free agent in March.
Evans made his fifth Pro Bowl in 2023 while catching 79 passes for 1,255 yards and a league-high 13 receiving touchdowns, and losing him would greatly hurt their chances of returning to the playoffs next winter.
If Tampa Bay doesn’t keep Mayfield, he is sure to be sought after by several teams, and that alone shows how far he has come in just the last several months.
NEXT:
Buccaneers GM Makes His Thoughts Clear About Mike Evans
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