Baker Mayfield, in his second season with the Buccaneers, is the team’s starting quarterback.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have secured their starting quarterback for the next few years after Baker Mayfield performed admirably on a one-year contract with the team. He was Tom Brady’s replacement after he retired, and it was an unusual signing. Nobody knew how the quarterback would handle the situation.
Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, and ten interceptions last season, prompting the Buccaneers to give him to a three-year, $100 million deal extension.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht praised Mayfield not just for his effect on the field, but also for his leadership and charisma in helping to develop a culture during his first year with the organization.
“We always knew that he was a super-competitive player, super-competitive person,” Licht said when asked what he learned about Mayfield, according to JoeBucsFan. “He has that moxie about him. That’s what made those of us who admired him coming out of the 2018 NFL Draft fall in love with him. I suppose it was the great leadership he demonstrated. He took over the team immediately away. He was one of the straws that stirred the liquid this year. Our identity [in 2023] was defined by his leadership and tenacity.
During his tenure at Oklahoma, Mayfield had the entire crowd rallying around him and was either adored or despised in the college football world due to his antics. He helped turn the Cleveland Browns club around, breaking the playoff drought, before the team lost up on him.
It’s no surprise that Mayfield’s leadership was embraced, and it helped to shape the franchise’s ethos in its first year without Brady. For his on-field output to match his leadership, the Buccaneers have a clear path forward, especially with his top target, Mike Evans, back.
The Buccaneers will be the team to watch in the NFC South, as they compete for the division title once more.
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