Baker Mayfield on Tampa Bay extension talks: ‘I love it here’

Mayfield’s future with the Bucs after this season is uncertain, but the signal caller wasn’t shy about his love for the organization.

The future is uncertain for Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag]. As it stands, he’s only on a one-year deal, and he doesn’t know where he’ll be playing football next year — but he certainly knows where he wants to play football.

Mayfield spoke to media on Wednesday ahead of the team’s Week 15 game against the Green Bay Packers, and he was asked if he thinks about the future as the season is coming to an end. Mayfield is certainly outplaying his one-year contract worth just $4 million, but that also makes it easy for him to walk if the team decides it wants to draft a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft of if it wants to sign someone else in free agency. Despite that, though, he made it very clear to reporters that he loves the Buccaneers and the teammates he’s playing with.

“I love it here. That’s a big reason why I chose to come here – organization-wise, the team, the guys, everybody around,” Mayfield told media on Wednesday. “I’m having fun playing football. I’m enjoying that. That’s something that, if you get a chance to pick or choose, this is a good place to be.”

So far this season, Mayfield has thrown for 2,934 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Bucs are still miraculously in the NFC South race and currently in the lead of it, so there’s still four games to go (or longer) — Mayfield knows that these next four games could be a big difference in what happens in the offseason.

“I’m a firm believer that everything happens as it should and how it’s supposed to,” Mayfield said. “Take care of business here and we will see what happens. To get to that point, winning games will help everything, so that’s where I’m at.”

Mayfield is one of a number of free agents the Bucs will think about signing. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr., linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White and wide receiver Mike Evans will all be free agents for 2024, and what happens in the next four weeks could be a big indicator of what happens to after the conclusion of the season.

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