Baker Mayfield received major concern from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers passing game coach TJ Yates recently. Mayfield enters a contract year and still waits on an extension from the Buccaneers brass. In the past, he defended his aggressive style of play despite other comments from coaches.
Mayfield said, “It’s football. There’s a time and place. On third downs, you’ve got to have situations where I’m going to try and do everything I can to get the first down or whatever we need.”
However, with a contract on the line, Mayfield may need to change his mindset. Passing game coach Yates seems on the fence about how he feels about Mayfield’s willingness to risk his body.
He said, “You don’t see [quarterbacks who play like Mayfield] very often these days in the league, and it’s so awesome to see. And you know [Mayfield’s style of play] does have its detriments at some point, because you don’t want him to get hurt, you don’t want to get dinged up.”
Baker Mayfield’s Passing Coach Wants Him to Calm Down
GettyWhile not missing time, Baker plays through injuries frequently.
Despite not missing a single start with the Buccaneers, Mayfield plays through injuries frequently. In 2025, he dealt with injuries in both his shoulder and bicep. In the 2023-24 season, Mayfield played through both ankle and rib injuries.
Passing game coach Yates wants Mayfield to calm down while maintaining his competitive and physical edge.
He said, “Like, you’re gonna have to drag that guy off the field because that’s just his competitive nature. But, you know, he’s got to dial it back a little bit. Got to calm that competitive edge down, but you don’t want to take his [fire] away because that’s what makes him great. And that’s what makes the rest of the team great.”
Buccaneers offensive coordinator Zac Robinson agrees that Mayfield’s competitive nature remains imperative. Keeping that alive seems vital to the Buccaneers success.
Robinson said, “I think that Baker naturally already has that edge to him — and you can feel it even more. He’s been so intentional with his footwork and all the fundamentals and the details that [quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer] and our coaches are preaching to him.”
Baker Mayfield Awaits Contract Extension
GettyThe Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield still await a resolution in contract negotiations.
While Yates still believes that Mayfield represents “one of the last of a dying breed of those alpha quarterbacks,” his comments may echo serious concerns within the Buccaneers organization. That being said, the belief is that Mayfield will receive a contract extension from the Buccaneers.
Perhaps the Buccaneers want to wait and see if Mayfield can make these strides as a quarterback and keep him motivated to succeed. Mayfield finished last season with a PFF grade of 70 after an electric start to the year. That ranked 27th out of 43 eligible quarterbacks. Everyone knows the high ceiling of a player like Mayfield, but an extension might take longer than expected given the concerns of the Buccaneers staff.
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