Reacts to his QB getting paid.

If there is a player who is closer to Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield on the Bucs roster, Joe doesn’t know who that may be.

Wirfs and Mayfield have been tight since Mayfield was first signed in 2023. Mayfield once remarked it is good for a quarterback to play nice with offensive linemen.

And in part thanks to Wirfs, Mayfield has stayed upright enough to sign a three-year, $165 million contract this week.

Mayfield and Wirfs are often seen out together. Rays games. Lightning games. A dive bar in South Tampa. The two even share family outings.

Maybe the only time there may have been friction between Wirfs and Mayfield was when Wirfs gave a public shoutout to their favorite watering hole. Mayfield thought Wirfs ruined the secrecy of their hangout.

So when Mayfield got paid this week, Wirfs was stoked for his best friend.

“I couldn’t be more excited for him,” Wirfs said yesterday in the Bucs locker room. “Couldn’t happen to a better guy.

“Super excited for him, Emily, the kids, and happy they get to stick around for a couple more years. We get to hang out some more, drink a couple more beers.”

For Wirfs, he seems to think Mayfield getting paid is an example Team Glazer and the organization prioritize winning.

“It’s huge,” Wirfs said of Mayfield’s new pact. “I think it’s huge for this organization. He leads us week in and week out. [He] leads us on Sundays, leads us to victories through the ups, through the downs.

“He’s the same guy, same badass, same dawg. To see [the contract] get done and know that he’s going to be here for the long haul is pretty cool.”

In two days, the Bucs kick off the season in Cincinnati. Joe thinks, barring injuries, there is nothing wrong with this offense. It has the weapons to win games. Yes, even in January.

If the defense can live up to its end of the bargain, Joe has no reason not to believe Mayfield and Wirfs can lead the offense to wins in the playoffs.