Baker Mayfield Makes It Clear Regarding His Future in Tampa With Buccaneers
There's been plenty of discussion this season about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback situation. More specifically, what the team's plan should be for next season, and beyond.
Earlier in the year when the Buccaneers jumped out to a 3-1 record, there was a lot of optimism, and plenty of 'Baker might be our guy' talk.
But when the team proceeded to lose six out of seven games and quickly plummeted to third place in the NFC South, the focus abruptly shifted towards this year's impressive crop of draft-eligible QB prospects.
It's a 'what have you done for me lately' kind of league. And with that being the case, the general consensus regarding a team's plan, or the public perception of a particular player, can change in the blink of an eye.
So now, with the Buccaneers having won consecutive games for the first time in several months, the overall vibe surrounding the team is a little more optimistic than it's been in a while.
Dec 10, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) celebrates after a victory against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
And thankfully for everyone involved, when the vibes are positive, the media tends to get a little more detail out of players during interviews. This is exactly what happened with Baker Mayfield when he was asked during his most recent press conference how much he's thought about his future with the Buccaneers.
He didn't hesitate before answering.
"Love it here. It's a big reason why I chose to come here. Organization wise, the team, the guys, everybody around. I'm having fun playing football so I'm enjoying that. It's something that if you get a chance to pick or choose, this is a good place to be."
Mayfield was careful not to get ahead of himself though, and he made sure to prioritize the current moment as the most important thing on his mind.
"Take care of business here and we'll see what happens. To get to that point? Winning games will help everything. So that's where I'm at."
When asked about the team's 'collective energy' regarding late December football, Baker's enthusiasm really came through.
"Absolutely. Just in the situation we've been put in, and that we've put ourselves in, guys have really woken up and realized we only have this amount of time left together. Every year is different, guys leave, it changes. So take advantage of this opportunity with each other. Continue to grow and fight for each other. The goal is still the goal. And it's still right there in front of us. So don't lose sight of that."
You can watch the entire press conference here.
Listening to Mayfield openly profess his affection for the Bucs' organization, his teammates, and the collective focus they all have on the task at hand, makes it abundantly clear just how thrilled he is to be the starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
How long will that remain the case? No one knows. But one thing we know for sure is that Baker Mayfield isn't taking this opportunity for granted.
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