‘Let Him Walk,’ ‘Worst Owners in the League’ — NFL World Has Mixed Reactions to Bucs Being ‘Not Happy’ With Baker Mayfield
· Yahoo Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield seem to be at the ultimate crossroads.
After the Buccaneers offered Mayfield a contract extension this offseason and the veteran quarterback declined it outright, both sides have since said they feel disrespected by the other, and a resolution does not seem to be in sight.
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Now, the NFL community is making its voice heard, both on the side of Mayfield and on the side of the organization.
NFL World Has Mixed Feelings on Baker Mayfield-Tampa Bay Buccaneers Drama
Mayfield landed in Tampa Bay in 2023 on a one-year, $4 million deal and played well enough to earn a three-year extension, worth $100 million. He took over a team that was led by future Hall of Famer Tom Brady the last few years.
Mayfield picked up right where Brady left off, taking the Buccaneers to the playoffs in each of his first two seasons, flashing the talent everyone knew he possessed when the Cleveland Browns drafted him No. 1 overall in 2018.
With the 31-year-old heading into a contract year, it’s natural for both sides to negotiate a new deal if they intend to continue working together.
That’s exactly what happened, as the Buccaneers reportedly offered Mayfield a two-year extension worth more than $100 million. That would have been a significant raise for Mayfield, who undeniably earned it.
However, the length of the contract was not what Mayfield was looking for. Since his rookie deal, the now-veteran had signed a one-year and three-year deal and was likely looking for at least another three-year deal.
That led to Mayfield calling out the Buccaneers organization for undervaluing him because he felt “disrespected.”
Now the Buccaneers organization is reportedly upset with Mayfield.
“It almost feels like it’s Baker versus the team,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show Friday. “Baker’s not happy with them; they’re not happy with the way he spoke about the organization; that’s not great.”
It continued when Tampa Bay insider Rick Stroud responded to that news.
“One thing I know about the Bucs ownership is they don’t want to be disrespected either and Mayfield may have crossed the line a bit,” Stroud wrote.
Now the NFL world is sharing how it feels regarding both Mayfield and the Buccaneers organization.
“He did the same [expletive] to the Browns. They weren’t even close in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes until Mayfield started whining about a trade,” one user wrote on X. “His whining is what lost him the Browns job!”
“Let him walk and get a rookie QB in there. $50M is too much to pay anyone, especially a turnover prone middle of the road guy,” another fan wrote. “Yes, he’s fun and I love his energy and drive but he turns it over and cost us the playoffs against Washington with his fumble.”
“Mayfield definitely crossed the line. We get it you’re upset and not negotiating. But to bash the organization makes him look like the jerk he is!” another fan continued.
Those siding with the Buccaneers’ organization pointed to Mayfield burning bridges, leaving him stranded in this NFL landscape.
“Baker is losing his chance to return to Tampa. I mean, how many bridges he had to burn. Tampa helped the man back on his two feet and this is what Tampa gets,” another fan wrote. “He better watch his attitude and change his mind. I get he wants to stay, but this ain’t it.”
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However, there are plenty of people coming after Tampa Bay as well, backing the veteran quarterback.
“He called the Bucs out on their bs. About time someone does,” one fan wrote.
“[Expletive] them. They disrespected us when they kept a mediocre coach and Todd Bowles over Liam Coen,” another fan added.
“One thing I know is the Bucs fans don’t want to be disrespected. Imagine not firing Todd Bowles after everyone is sick of him giving up 30+ points a game,” another fan said.
It’s obvious that those who are backing Mayfield feel the organization has made wrong decisions in the past, and this is yet another one.
“They deserve to be disrespected, worst owners in the league,” another fan wrote.
Only time will tell what ends up happening with Mayfield and the Buccaneers, but it certainly seems like the two sides are far from a resolution at this point.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.