Amid contract negotiations, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles had a firm statement about where he stands with his quarterback Baker Mayfield. Bowles made it clear that there is “absolutely no question” on whether or not the Bucs head coach wants the team to extend Mayfield.
Bowles noted that Mayfield has treated the negotiations in a professional manner, it has not impacted his demeanor or his practice habits, and that the coach plans to continue to coach Mayfield this year and through the future.
“The contract stuff takes care of itself, whether it’s the quarterback or any other position that comes up,” added Bowles. “Those things get worked out over time.”
The question is whether Bowles has enough sway in the front office to ensure his quarterback is taken care of before the season starts.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles Backs Baker Mayfield
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield stated earlier this offseason that he does not believe his side and the team are close to a contract extension. It has brought up a lot of debate around Mayfield and his status with the team.
The question is not only about money, but also about how high the ceiling can get with Mayfield. Are the Bucs better off going a cheap route with potential rather than paying someone who is capped?
In the first year that the team had Mayfield, they won a playoff game. In the next year, they lost in the first round of the playoffs. Now, they are coming off a season where they missed the playoffs. The downward trend is hard to miss.
So, the team is in a wait-and-see mode. Meanwhile, Mayfield is the 16th highest-paid quarterback currently, and he does not have long-term financial backing. If something happened this year, he would miss out on a lot of potential money.
As Mayfield pushes for a new deal and the team drags its feet, it is clear that the people inside the building are supporting Mayfield.
Bowles Might Not Have A Strong Say With the Buccaneers
Bowles publicly supporting Mayfield is notable, and if he did not do that, there would be even more questions emerging. However, Bowles’ opinion of Mayfield might not hold much weight in the Bucs front office.
Bowles is in just as much of a win-now year as Mayfield. The two are essentially tied together now that they have three straight seasons that have seen earlier playoff exits every year.
Bowles inherited a Super Bowl-caliber team, and rather than build on it, the Bucs have maintained or potentially started to lose their standing. So, the cleanest move for the team would be to move on from both Bowles and Mayfield at the end of the year if things did not go well.
Bowles was always going to protect Mayfield, but he is also protecting himself by noting that maintaining and building on what they have is working. The two will now enter the biggest years of their respective careers together. It will be interesting to see what happens.
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