The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into the season with a lot riding on Baker Mayfield, and head coach Todd Bowles sounds convinced his quarterback is ready to answer that pressure the right way.
On Tuesday, Bowles joined 95.7 WDAE with radio host Tom Krasniqi and spoke about where the team stands and what he expects from Mayfield. His message was simple: this is the kind of edge Mayfield brings every year, contract situation or not.
"Baker's pissed off every year and every game," Bowles said. "He wants to beat the piss out of somebody.
This is nothing new. It's a normal deal for him, whether it was contract or no contract.
We'll get the best Baker Mayfield that you can probably get."
That kind of mindset has become a familiar talking point around the league, with multiple analysts pointing to the contract talks as something that could push Mayfield even harder. For Tampa Bay, the hope is that extra motivation only sharpens a quarterback who already plays with plenty of fire.
Mayfield’s 2024 season had plenty of production attached to it. He finished 10th in the NFL with 3,693 passing yards and added 26 touchdowns against 11 interceptions.
But the numbers only tell part of the story. Tampa Bay opened 5-1, then stumbled badly, losing seven of its final nine games and falling out of the NFC South race for the first time in five seasons.
Mayfield was dealing with lingering injuries down the stretch, and that showed up in his play.
This year, the Buccaneers are expecting a healthier team when Week 1 arrives, and Mayfield is entering a contract year with something to prove. The move to bring in Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator could help, too. Robinson comes from the same Sean McVay coaching tree as Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, and Coen’s lone season with Mayfield produced one of the NFL’s most efficient offenses.
During that season together, Mayfield threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and a franchise-record 71.4% completion percentage.
At the NFL Owners Meetings, Coen drew a direct line between Robinson’s system and the one Mayfield thrived in during his breakout 2024 campaign.
"Obviously their connection - they have a prior relationship, and again, that definitely helps with Baker," Coen said."He’s going to probably be teed off - a little ticked off to have a better season, get back to the playoffs and do some of those things."
The uncertainty around Mayfield’s future in Tampa is still there, but Bowles clearly believes the quarterback’s attitude and urgency are exactly what the Buccaneers need heading into the new season.
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