A lot has been made about what Baker Mayfield’s future will look like after this season. After having a career renaissance in Tampa Bay, which included clinching the NFC South Division crown and winning a home playoff game, one would assume that he would return to the Buccaneers, no questions asked. But that level of thinking is without factoring in that his offensive coordinator, Dave Canales, left to take the Carolina Panthers’ head coaching job, center Ryan Jensen retired, and Mike Evans is an impending free agent.
But, in replacing Canales, head coach Todd Bowles dipped into the college coaching ranks and hired Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen for the same post. It just so happens that Coen was the OC in Los Angeles during Mayfield’s brief stint with the Rams in 2022, where he showed signs of life that he could still be a starting-caliber quarterback in this league.
Still, Coen’s presence isn’t enough to convince fans that Baker’s permanent residence will be in Tampa Bay. They’d likely want to hear from the man himself. And whether he intended to or not, Mayfield’s plans seem to have been made public thanks to a hot mic on the Up and Adams show.
In the clip below, Mayfield tells Steve Young something along the lines that he’s coming back to Tampa and references bringing “a couple of pieces back.” The San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback mentions that Mayfield has found a place to settle in and “make a career.”
Baker and Steve Young have a hot mic here on Up & Adams set. Baker basically tells Steve Young he’s coming back to Tampa and bringing “a couple pieces back.”
Steve Young mentions how Baker has found a place for his “career.”
LETS FUCKING BAKE pic.twitter.com/g0y6nVGnC0
— JC Cornell (@CornellNFL) February 7, 2024
Mayfield still needs to agree on a contract extension with Tampa Bay. Still, Young congratulated him on finding a landing spot for the foreseeable future and perhaps the rest of his playing career, as he, too, had begun his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After growing extremely dissatisfied with the Los Angeles Express of the USFL, Young was bought out of his contract and signed with the Buccaneers, who had made him the first pick in the supplemental draft of USFL and CFL players a year prior.
Young would later be traded to the 49ers to backup Joe Montana after being labeled a bust, which saw Tampa Bay draft Vinny Testaverde. So, the 62-year-old Young has an idea of what it’s like to be a highly-touted quarterback, cast aside for a shiny new toy, and later find success with a team that embraced him. Of course, Baker Mayfield needs to win a Super Bowl before we put him into conversations with Young, but at least their career trajectory is somewhat similar.
With an unofficial announcement via hot mic, Mayfield’s future in Tampa Bay is seemingly sealed. Yet, critical decisions and potential personnel changes make the exact trajectory of his second act in the Sunshine State a compelling NFL storyline worth following.
