While recent reports from NFL insiders have indicated that people within the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the camp for quarterback Baker Mayfield are confident the two sides will soon come to terms on a contract extension, Mayfield remains in the final year of the three-year deal he signed in March 2024.
Meanwhile, Jon Gruden knows a thing or two about achieving success with the Buccaneers, as he guided the franchise to a Super Bowl victory in January 2003. During a recent chat with Buccaneers reporter Ira Kaufman of the JoeBucsFan website, Gruden gave his former club some advice regarding Mayfield’s future.
Jon Gruden to Buccaneers: “Who are you going to get if you don’t have Baker Mayfield?”
“I think he’s the leader of the team,” Gruden said about Mayfield. “He can make all the throws, and he proved he can play in bad weather [when with the Cleveland Browns from 2018-2021]. I’m an owl — who, who, who are you going to get if you don’t have Baker Mayfield?”
Buccaneers ownership may not have to answer such a question anytime soon, even if Mayfield stays in a contract year through the final snap of the upcoming season. After all, Tampa Bay could always retain his rights for 2027 via the franchise tag.
“He’s a fireball, man,” Gruden added about Mayfield. “I mean, how do you not like Mayfield? He brings it on the practice field, and he brings it on Sunday. In the most horrific of situations, how many times have you seen this guy scramble and sell out to get a first down?”
Jon Gruden gives Baker Mayfield advice amid contract standoff
A June report shared that people within the Buccaneers were “concerned” that Mayfield may continue “to neglect” his health via his playing style. Mayfield hasn’t missed a start since joining the Buccaneers in 2023, but he has been dinged up throughout his tenure in Tampa Bay.
Most recently, he played with a sprained MCL and PCL from Week 2 of last season before he suffered a significant injury to his non-throwing shoulder in Week 12. Mayfield “also had a bad biceps contusion that…affected his velocity” during the campaign.
“I think you’ve got to put yourself in his shoes,” Gruden said about Mayfield’s desire for an extension. “How would you like it? You’ve been to the Pro Bowl, you’ve played magnificent football here, and the Browns haven’t been very good since he left. Where are we going without Baker Mayfield? I’m hoping it will all work itself out. My advice? Take one snap at a time, just play good football down to down, stay healthy and great things are going to happen to Mayfield.”
Mayfield previously said he doesn’t want contract talks to extend beyond when Buccaneers players are due to report for training camp on July 28. Whether or not that is a “hard deadline” for negotiations is unknown.