Baker Mayfield No. 78 Most Important
July 1st, 2026
Important.
Look out Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. Your question to re-up Baker Mayfield just got more important.
Over at CBS, Zachary Pereles (any relation to George Pereles?) decided to put together a list of his 100 Most Important Players. Not the 100 best, but 100 most important. There is a difference.
For example, Jeffery Simmons of Tennessee might be the best nose tackle in the NFL. But Tennessee can lose just as easily without him.
So why does Licht now have more pressure to extend Mayfield? Per Pereles, Mayfield is the No. 78 Most Important Player in the NFL.
Quietly, Mayfield is a pending free agent next offseason. He was off to a tremendous start in 2025 before a couple of injuries set him back. Though he started all 17 games, he clearly wasn’t the same. Now, without Mike Evans and with Zac Robinson entering as offensive coordinator, Mayfield has a pivotal season ahead, both for him and for Tampa Bay.
Joe doesn’t believe there is any chance Mayfield invokes Operation Shutdown and walks out of training camp or threatens to sit out the season.
Not only has Mayfield said that won’t happen, that is just not in his DNA. Mayfield is a team-guy first and his best friends off the field block for him on the field. Joe just cannot see Mayfield doing a No. 1 on his best friends.
But yeah, getting Mayfield to sign on the dotted line sure is important to accomplish before the free agency dinner bell rings in March.
July 1st, 2026 at 12:03 am
😆🤣😂
🤡
July 1st, 2026 at 12:29 am
We can get Mason Rudolph for cheap!
July 1st, 2026 at 1:02 am
Licht and the Glazers (so far) are doing the right thing. After last years collapse. It’s Far More than just a little wise to Make Sure that Baker isn’t regressing to the mean.
Then again, looking Purely at his time with us, approximately 82% of the time he’s been White Hot! It’s just smart to confirm that he’s not going to get stuck “mind dealing” about how bad it got last year, and he’s going to pick right back up where he left off with chants of “MVP”
I for one am pulling for Baker to put his money where his mouth is, “pun intended”..
And feel like , (ESPECIALLY without better alternatives) we would miss the boat, BIG TIME if we somehow didn’t secure his services going forward, Even If we end up drafting one of the ELITE QB’s in this very next draft. Simply because he (the draftee) would need time to catch on to the ebb and flows of Pro Football, and the True flavors of playing with and against the best in the World…. It’s a luxury that we SURE COULD use.
At the right price of course because there won’t be quality team mates without money from somewhere to pay them to stay. “Greed” (concerning money) is BAD for anything that includes the word “team” in it..
July 1st, 2026 at 1:56 am
I really hope that Baker plays smart, protects his body and has a great season. If he does, we will go far with Robinsson calling plays. There were several factors in our downfall last year. Baker’s injuries were not one of them but, his not being replaced in the lineup until he could heal was the problem. Signs of a desperate head coach.