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Baker Mayfield addresses where contract talks with Tampa Bay Buccaneers stand

profilephotocropby: Suzanne Halliburton02/02/24suzhalliburton
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Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Baker Mayfield fits the definition of NFL nomad. But maybe he’ll stick with the Buccaneers now that Tampa Bay is bringing in new offensive coordinator Liam Coen.

Mayfield, who led the Buccaneers to the NFC South division title, is in Orlando this week to compete in the Pro Bowl Games. It’s the first time in his six-year NFL career that he’s made the all-star game. He really hasn’t had time to adapt to a team since the Browns made him the top pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Bucs are his fourth team.

He becomes a free agent in March. Mayfield only signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers before last season started. Both sides definitely liked each other. But the Panthers hired Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales as their new head coach this week. Mayfield dropped a serious hint that if the Bucs didn’t hire someone he liked as the new OC, he’d look elsewhere. So on Friday, Tampa brought in Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who Mayfield worked with when both were with the Rams in 2022.

Speaking before a Pro Bowl Games practice, Mayfield told reporters that he expected contract negotiations to pick up now that the Buccaneers were finalizing the deal with Coen.

But before the Buccaneers moved quickly to fill the OC job, Mayfield talked as if he’d be leaving Tampa. There’s nothing more benign than a “we’ll see” when it comes to contract talks.

“It all just kind of depends,” Mayfield told the NFL Network. “Obviously Tampa, we’re going though a little bit of a (offensive coordinator) search right now. It’ll start there. They were the first ones that gave me a chance, and (I’m) thankful for them. We’ll see. Taking it one day at a time.”

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield won the Pro Bowl Games passing precision contest Thursday in Orlando. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)

Canales helped rebuild Mayfield’s career this season. The former Heisman winner and Oklahoma Sooner threw for a career high 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns. His 64.3 completion percentage also was best of his pro career. Then on Thursday night, Mayfield won the precision passing event at the Pro Bowl Games. Like we said, it’s been quite a career resurgence for Mayfield.

However, Canales probably can’t bring Mayfield with him to Carolina. After all, the Panthers selected Bryce Young with the top pick of last year’s draft. They’re not in the market for a new quarterback.

Mike Evans, the Buccaneers star receiver, also will be a free agent. Mayfield surely would want him to stay with the team.

“We’re gonna get some pieces back,” Mayfield told NFL Network. “Everything that we did in the back half of the year, to build on culture-wise, it was a great locker room. So, you get a lot of those pieces back and the culture’s the most important thing.

“I know we had a little bit of a lull there halfway through the season, but we stuck through it. I know they hung with us the whole time, but hang in there again.”