Tom Pelissero: Lone Issue For Bucs Entering Camp Is Getting Baker Mayfield Contract Done
July 2nd, 2026
The latest.
Baker Mayfield is on record, several times since he came to the Bucs, that Tampa Bay is the first team to embrace him for who he is and never tried to change him.
And for NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, it’s time for the Bucs to cement their feelings about Mayfield and show him the money.
“To me, the most important [quarterback contract] is Baker Mayfield,” Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show yesterday. “Because Baker, if you look at the franchise quarterback contracts right now, he’s at the bottom of those veteran guys in terms of where they’re getting paid.”
And, Pelissero said, he has not heard of any progress on getting the talks wrapped up.
“At last check, when I, you know, asked around a week or so ago, he didn’t tell if there had been any further movement,” Pelissero said. “And [Mayfield is] a guy who’s a free agent after this season.”
Pelissero did add something interesting. Do the Bucs think by not getting Mayfield extended before the season, they’ll p!ss off Mayfield to the point that he balls out this fall, in part because he wants to show the Bucs they made a mistake not getting this extension done?
“The Bucs may kind of like, ‘Hey, it’s salty, angry Baker coming in, let him go kick everybody’s butt and worry about [the financial consequences] after the season.’
“They’ve done that with other veterans in the past, but quarterback position is a little bit different.”
Pelissero would not be surprised that when everyone returns to Tampa from vacation, the Bucs and Mayfield camps will have one of those burn-the-midnight-oil marathon negotiations to get a deal hammered out.
From everything Joe has heard from folks both on and off the record, it’s difficult to believe Mayfield won’t be the Bucs’ quarterback in Week 1 of the 2027 season.
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:08 am
This is why they simply need to resign him and get this cloud hanging over the team to go away. “Born Again” Baker is a Franchise QB and we are lucky to have him. Sign the Man. LFG!!
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:13 am
Agreed 100%, truth be told.
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:22 am
1 playoff win 3years ago….nawl…aint worth an extension…let baker play it out and prove himself….
sign VITA!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:29 am
I mean, they gotta do Vita as well. But it’s July 2nd. There’s plenty of time for this.
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:32 am
813…Vita is signed
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:59 am
It’s a PR strategy to keep the Bucs in focus in the Bay Area…..with no football to report on, this is the most interesting story they can offer week after week. I bet he’s signed before the season. Vea would be another but QB takes priority. It’s good PR and marketing….time will tell if it was a real negotiation showdown or not.
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:05 am
It seems slam dunk that Baker is in the 50 million based on other qb in the league. How much over the 50 could be the issue, but that seems simple enough. Maybe it is the number of years. Licht seems to like the short term stuff. Look what he did with ME. How many guys are on 1 to 2 yr deals. I don’t know it seems simple enough. Put simply it’s time to pay the Man. However the Bucs have a poor history with quality QB’s seems they can’t get that one right. Have the Bucs ever had a Franchise QB. There is your answer
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:07 am
I know the Bucs hate kicking the can after Brady and the finances are looking better, but they can actually create Cap Room by getting these deals done.
if they were literally ALL IN both would be done by now and we would have added Trevon Diggs for example.
I don’t see the team thinking that way hence no deals yet. Do I think they get Baker done early in Training Camp? YES
Should they instead of Vita Vea? REALLY NOT SURE!
I like the idea of a pissed off Baker and pay the man next year. Vita Holding Out would literally suck.
Baker ain’t doing that, it’s too expensive for him.
I hate contract disputes a year early. You signed the deal so play football.
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:15 am
Can somebody tell me how to search the archives?
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:15 am
Seriously, the Baker contract articles are getting old. There’s got to be other things Joe’s can dig up.
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:25 am
Well at least Joe isn’t telling us what band the GM loves or the favorite candy of the defensive wizard of oz. Besides this pesky QB contract extension, everything else with the Bucs according to Pelissero is perfect…lol
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:28 am
The best case scenario is let and unsigned, angry Baker enter the season and ball out the entire season and earn $50M. Until now, the only thing that says Baker should be signed for 50M is what other teams have paid their QB’s. His overall performamces don’t scream $50M. Let it play out. Let Baker ball out behind a healthy Oline, a new OC and an upgraded defense. Then me, the fanbase, the Bucs and Baker will be happy to pay him like a franchise QB.
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:43 am
BridleOaks Buc Says:
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:32 am
813…Vita is signed
so is baker lol….
extend VITA!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
July 2nd, 2026 at 11:13 am
I like Baker playing in Tampa. That said, I’ve always thought that destiny would converge a Baker and Sean McVay reunion in LA for the Big Ride to the Super Bowl. Maybe Baker leaves or maybe the Bucs sign him and trade him at the end of the season for Ty Simpson. To be continued…
July 2nd, 2026 at 11:24 am
Mac Jones 2027
July 2nd, 2026 at 11:46 am
Uhhh no, that’s not going to happen. When we sign Baker Mayfield, we will keep and start Baker Mayfield until the end of his contract. If the defense is indeed much improved and the offensive line stays healthy, the Bucs are in for a *huge* season.
July 2nd, 2026 at 11:48 am
Stpetematt: I hope so too!
July 2nd, 2026 at 12:00 pm
ATLBuc Says:
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:28 am
The best case scenario is let and unsigned, angry Baker enter the season and ball out the entire season and earn $50M.
*****************************
The “safe” strategy approach sounds great, but it’s not reality. Under this scenario, the price is now closer to $60M.
The Bucs need to maximize their leverage and future cap management by making their best deal right now.
Weighting Mayfield’s assessment on the back half of our disastrous 2025 season is making a mistake because Robinson is going to do everything he can to enable Baker to prove it was a blip versus a long-term forecast.
July 2nd, 2026 at 12:02 pm
… if you look at the franchise quarterback contracts right now, he’s at the bottom of those veteran guys in terms of where they’re getting paid.”
Did you watch him throw 2 drive killing interceptions vs Dolphins in a must win game?
July 2nd, 2026 at 12:23 pm
If I were Mayfield I would take a seat by Vita Sea at the start of Training on July 29th.
July 2nd, 2026 at 12:42 pm
That’s the lone issue? Guess we forgot about who the HC is…
July 2nd, 2026 at 1:01 pm
StPeteMatt … ‘Can somebody please tell me how to search the archives?’
I’m sure that there’s a very simple way Matt, but I’ve never found it. Interestingly, if you ask AI to seach for ‘all comments from Defense Rules on joebucsfan.com’ here’s what comes back …
‘”Defense Rules” is a prolific commentator on JoeBucsFan.com with a history of focusing on Tampa Bay Buccaneers football, often questioning Baker Mayfield’s status as a franchise quarterback. The user consistently employs statistics to defend Todd Bowles’ defense while highlighting the need for improved defensive depth. For more insights, visit JoeBucsFan.com.’
After that it lists JBF article after article that I’ve commented on, which really doesn’t help all that much (AI does make a good librarian however).
Just for kicks I asked it to search ‘all comments from StPeteMatt on joebucsfan.com’ also. You ready for this?
‘Because blog comment databases are highly localized, restricted internally, and frequently deleted or paginated, a single chronological list of all comments from a specific user like “StPeteMatt” cannot be viewed globally.
However, a scan of his most recent, published activity on JoeBucsFan.com highlights his current opinions on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
o Quarterback: He is a massive supporter of Baker Mayfield, recently declaring him a franchise quarterback and stating the Bucs need to “[sign] the man”.
o Mike Evans: He expressed deep frustration that the front office let receiver Mike Evans leave, calling it a horrible move and lamenting that the team is now in a “decade of depression”.
o Todd Bowles: He is heavily critical of the head coach and defensive coordinator, pointing out that the defense has been “trash” and that Bowles is incapable of fielding a good defense while managing head coach duties.
o 2026 Season Prediction: He believes the team is strictly in a rebuild, predicting a slow start and an overall finish of 8-9 or 6-8 wins at best.
To track down his exact previous posts, you can browse his user profile or use the internal search feature directly on the JoeBucsFan homepage.’
Can’t say that I totally agree with AI’s summation of either of our positions on the Bucs, Mayfield or Bowles. But hey, even AI is entitled to its’ opinion.
July 2nd, 2026 at 1:10 pm
@DR, you just inspired every poster here to take a deep AI dive into their favorite things…their own voice and joebucsfan.com 🙃 I hope the beast paints each of you with a glowingly generous brush
July 2nd, 2026 at 1:11 pm
I just watched the Dolphins game again. Ewers looked great. Our special teams had a field goal blocked on us, and we gave up a long punt return. Wirfs being paid without leave had our UDFA at left tackle on the costliest fumble Baker had all year. We had a rookie OC trying to play catch up. We go up 7-0, then they hang 200 yards and 17 points before half. Yeah, Baker threw a pick in each half.
July 2nd, 2026 at 1:40 pm
I’m in the “resign” Baker camp, However…… I’m a TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS “the TEAM FIRST” guy. And the FACT OF THE MATTER IS HE BLEW IT BIG LAST YEAR… With that said, I can see why. He DIDN’T HAVE protection….. However…. he made some bad decisions. And THAT cost us a game or two. That’s a fact.
Is Baker scared to prove it was a fluke 2025? Baker hasn’t said so. Only the desperate and likely “Baker Boi” types would be so desperate.
What exactly is the problem with Baker PROVING that he hasn’t lost his “IT”? Why the desperate hurry? Because quite frankly, if he gets himself so wounded that he can’t play for a couple of years, “MY TEAM” is screwed! It’s NOT ONLY, NOT in my teams best interest, it’s NOT Necessary to sign an extension NOW since he’s ALREADY under contract.
I’m for what’s BEST for my team. He ONLY needs to PROVE that last was a fluke, and if it was then he’ll shine like always, and get an extention I WANT HIM TO HAVE.
The hand wringing is laughable though. Baker has WAY MORE FAITH in himself than his desperate Baker Bois. And for Good Reason.
The optimal time to sign Baker would be around the Bye Week AFTER everyone KNOWS it’s all good with Baker … Ew…. Scary huh…
But THAT would be in the “Teams” best interest and like I made CLEAR, that’s the side I’m on….
July 2nd, 2026 at 1:41 pm
Vita Vea would argue bucs have more than mayfield as the “lone” issue. Baker must know he isn’t an elite top 5 qb who can carry a team but needs a supporting cast to excel that includes defense especially when he throws an INT. So yes get paid but money needs to be paid to others. I get many of us are shocked that many QBs are now making 50 million or more which is a crazy amount. But it’s now the normal. Baker is not worth upper 50 range a year and not a 5 year deal. Maybe 50-53 million a year for 3 years.
July 2nd, 2026 at 1:53 pm
They should hold off on an extension and if he plays well in 2026, trade him.
We can go 8-9 with virtually any QB out there not named Bilgewater.
Part of the reason Faker can say he’s played every game is because the GM is clueless about fielding a solid backup QB.
If we had one he would have been benched down the stretch and we might have won that extra game needed to clinch.
Instead they chose to employ an empty uniform because Todd liked him.
This organization has become a laughing stock.
July 2nd, 2026 at 2:03 pm
Stpetematt Says:
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:15 am
Can somebody tell me how to search the archives?
—————
The best way is to just use Google. Make your search query look like this =
Joebucsfan + topic + target
So for this article you might put
Joebucsfan + Peliserro + Baker
So if you want to see your posts?
Joebucsfan + Stpetematt
Your posts talking about Tez?
Joebucsfan + Stpetematt + Tez
The archive search built in will only search titles not content.
Hope that helps 👍🏼
July 2nd, 2026 at 2:04 pm
ChiBuc … When I teach, I love to chide those who ask off-the-wall questions (not directly related to what we’re covering) for ‘taking us down the rabbit hole’. That IMO is precisely what AI has the capability of doing: ‘taking you down the rabbit hole’ (like Alice in Wonderland when she followed the White Rabbit into his burrow, which led to a long fall ‘down the rabbit hole’).
July 2nd, 2026 at 2:10 pm
Relax, let all you expert capologist meet with Mike Greenberg, and tell him what he should do.
July 2nd, 2026 at 2:11 pm
Relax
, let all you expert capologist meet with Mike Greenberg, and tell him what he should do.
July 2nd, 2026 at 2:12 pm
Defense Rules, from a far distance away and feeling Todd Bowles objectively with no bias, as both a HC/DC, Todd Bowles lacks two aspects structure and discipline! When a HC lacks either it tends to fester the negativity through the entire team. Perhaps the nearly complete overhaul of coaching on the defensive side will reveals strengthen defensive unit and a stronger team in general!
July 2nd, 2026 at 2:13 pm
I’m with ATLbuc, and have stated so numerous times.
If he balls out.. pay him whatever he wants. If he stays true to his usual form, you haven’t mortgaged the future on what is essentially a journeyman.
Look, I like Baker but waiting one more year is what a qualified GM would do. Baker ain’t Mahomes, and his record here is not worth a big extension.. yet.
July 2nd, 2026 at 2:16 pm
He’s under contract, and he’s not a FA after the season if he’s franchised. He can’t go anywhere we don’t want him to for the foreseeable future.
July 2nd, 2026 at 2:33 pm
@Defense Rules Says:
Thanks for the inspiration. I had never thought to search myself, so I just did.
It got three out of four headings reasonably close.
I do not think that Bowles’s defense is “putrid”. But, I am very critical of the teams failure to address the ILB room after 2024.
July 2nd, 2026 at 3:51 pm
Trade Vita!
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:06 pm
I have as much ability to sway the owners and GM to make the decision on Baker as all the other posters here and do. And Joe as well. Pontificating about things I do not control is sometimes fun but often tiresome. This topic has become tiresome. Sooner or later. We’re going to find out what decision they made. And nothing we say or do will change that. I’d rather spend my time pontificating about all the other relevant football items regarding the upcoming season. Baker will be our quarterback this year. Beyond that, who knows? But we’ll know soon enough. That’s good enough for me. Bring on the season.
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:10 pm
DR, I commented before reading these comments posted here. Very interesting regarding your AI adventure. And a little bit scary to be honest. As I’ve been commenting here for years, I would assume it would have some opinion about me as well. I’m almost curious enough to take a look…
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:16 pm
toopanca … ‘I do not think that Bowles’s defense is “putrid”. But, I am very critical of the teams failure to address the ILB room after 2024.’
Trust me, you’ve got LOTS of company there. Myself included.
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:17 pm
Steven 007 … ‘As I’ve been commenting here for years, I would assume it would have some opinion about me as well. I’m almost curious enough to take a look…’
Don’t do it. It’s ‘down the rabbit hole’ soon as you do.
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:17 pm
Keep harping on this. But some things are true whether you believe them or not.
Other than Patrick Mahomes, no QB has won the Super Bowl by coming near the 16.6% of the cap like Baker Mayfield wants. That’s 50 million a year folks.
Steve Young was second to Mahomes at 13.1% of the cap.
Love him or hate him, anyone playing with even half a deck will never confuse Baker Mayfield with Patrick Mahomes or Steve Young.
Licht surely knows this. If you want a chance at the big prize you don’t give an insane amount of money to one guy.
Pay him, pay him, pay him … So tired of hearing this thinking WITHOUT THINKING!
Personally, I’d let Baker play out this last year and reevaluate post season.
But that probably won’t happen. So …
If Baker cares about winning like he says he does, and Licht doesn’t succumb to pressure from the wafting Idiot Winds, Licht will offer and Baker will play for 30-33 million.
Otherwise, say hello to the newly, remodeled Den of Depression.
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:23 pm
@Obvious One (O²),
Thanks for injecting oxygen into the “debate.” A well written and thought out bit of common sense. I agree! The bye week would be perfect to either announce Baker’s resigning or Bowles’s (and legitimately, Licht’s) resignation(s).
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:27 pm
@DR,
Who left that bottle of “Drink Me” out for all to consume.
🤔
You did!
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:44 pm
Lynchmob, you can bet you are talking to yourself. Nobody of any count would be taking your advice, thank goodness. Baker will be back and making $50+ and you had a chance to take the bet but we’re afraid to. 😂
July 2nd, 2026 at 4:51 pm
He should provide his definition of a “franchise contract”
July 2nd, 2026 at 5:26 pm
@What it is
Faker Suckfield isn’t worth $25 million and you want to overpay by double.
Not sure what bet you are speaking of?? Having delusions again??
You must love crap football. And 2025 probably felt like the SB to you.
8-9 was just so magical, especially with the 2-7 stretch run.
I’m sure Todd, Faker, and Bud Licht will drain even more out of the pool in 2026.
July 2nd, 2026 at 5:30 pm
There’s been an offer, right? So the whole point about getting a deal “done” hinges on whether or not Baker breaks down and takes what’s on the table as of right now OR there’s another offer made. Whichever one happens first will determine how the front office and ownership really feel about Mayfield short & long term. My thing is, if the offer was made that means the franchise clearly evaluated not just his value since ‘23, but his projected value moving forward. Trick for Bakers’ camp is, how do you sell him in order to get a more favorable deal done?
July 2nd, 2026 at 5:44 pm
“the only thing that says Baker should be signed for 50M is what other teams have paid their QB’s. His overall performamces don’t scream $50M. Let it play out.”
Yep. What ‘other teams’ do is NOT a good enough excuse. Don’t care about what other teams do. I care about the future of the BUCS and not destroying it. NFL teams do NOT so easily and glowingly, handout 4-YEAR MAX-level type contracts to 32-YEAR OLD “ANYONES,” much less to an aging, beat up and banged up, inconsistent, and only slightly above average Quarterback,” who is coming fresh off a 2-7 finish, just the previous season. Because, that would be STUPID. Actually, I’m kinda shocked about them offering him anything, right now. It is very possible the Glazers just went ahead and offered him a ‘fair’ deal for everyone, and one that THEY feel comfortable enough with, at the moment. They put THEIR best foot forward, and showed a ‘commitment’ that they were fine moving forward with HIM as their Quarterback. So, I don’t understand what the big issue is here, at ALL, He is currently under contract for THIS season, AND he also has an offer for an ‘extension’ already on the table… That, only awaits HIS signature. So, what are all of these “Baker Bois” MISSING!? I don’t get it. Why are THEY not telling HIM to ‘sign-it’ then!? It makes NO SENSE.
They continue screaming and demanding to “PAY THE MAN,” when the BUCS ARE Paying The Man. RIGHT NOW. Plus, they have already agreed to EXTEND HIM… And, when ALL Baker has to do is JUST SIGN-IT. It’s all pretty simple. The offer is THERE, and is just waiting to be SIGNED. I mean, THEY were the ones talking all this “DISCOUNT” garbage. You’d THINK given their ‘brittle’ egos, that they’d want to be proven ‘right’ about good ole Bakey-Bakeyyy… Though, this $50-MIL mark seems to have taken over and dominated their minds. They can’t see the forest for the trees, I suppose. So, they’ve decided to completely abandon ship on that whole DISCOUNT ‘false-narrative’ (since it was never close to being the truth to begin with) LoL. They would much rather see that HE is taken care of FIRST, and foremost… Everything else, be damned. The $50-MIL EGO, is waaaay more important than some little piss-ant “DISCOUNT.” Because, it is more important for them that BAKE gets taken care of first, than the BUCS and any future salary cap implications, or anything like that. I mean, come on now… PLEASE. It’s all about the Baker “Bakey Bake” Fairytale ending.
July 2nd, 2026 at 6:04 pm
“Weighting Mayfield’s assessment on the back half of our disastrous 2025 season is making a mistake because Robinson is going to do everything he can to enable Baker to prove it was a blip versus a long-term forecast.”
How bout 2023 then!? Cause, THAT was much more like the ‘REAL’ true 2025 version of Baker Mayfield. With THE ‘weakest’ division and final stretch-run schedule, in NFL History. BUT, you (and the rest of them) only want to use HIS 2024 SEASON with COEN tho LoL. When, the 2023 AND 2025 versions were both, A LOT more like the overall entirely, of his ‘8-YEAR’ CAREER.
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:28 pm
It’s been almost 20 years since I posted on one of the Bucs’ articles, but I feel like I need to understand how so many Bucs fans think Baker is anything more than Ryan Fitzpatrick with longer good streaks, but fewer extremely great performances. We keep saying we have a great line, but that was the only excuse I saw last year outside of several weeks without Evans. Obviously we had injuries, but Baker also has had one of the best WR groups in the NFL. Of course, he looked great when everyone was healthy. As soon as he lost some WRs and lineman, he was absolute garbage. Most quarterbacks can be great with great receivers and great blocking. It’s what we’ve seen his performance drops to when he lacks the perfect scenario that makes me think a max deal for him is insane. He’s only consistently really good when everyone around him is great. He is not going to take us anywhere absent perfect circumstances, so let’s make him prove he’s consistently very good for a whole season, injuries and all, before we pay him like he can carry the team. He’s only consistently been good under the best circumstances.
July 2nd, 2026 at 9:40 pm
Ref813:
Don’t be a stranger.
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:01 pm
What it is says: “No Junior, the real Baker is what happens when you get a good OC that releases his true potential which was 2024.”
You mean that SAME OC that EVERY QB thrives and has a career year with… The ‘one’ who made WILL LEVIS into a fricking SUPERSTAR QB, while at KENTUCKY!?
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:07 pm
@ Ref813 Says: “that makes me think a max deal for him is insane.“
Welcome, Sir! I 💯 AGREE. It is insane. Don’t forget… THIS NFC South Division for now, 4-YEARS running! And, it has STILL been a real struggle.
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:15 pm
Ref813 says blah, blah, blah, Mayfield isn’t any better than Ryan Fitzpatrick, blah, blah. Since, after 20 years of reading JBF, you say you need help understanding. Maybe I can help. You should pick another hobby than being a football fan. If you somehow believe any of the drivel you’re typing then I’d truthfully be helping you out by helping you understand that you don’t understand football and that you could spend your time better. Thanks Ref813, and check back in with us in 20 years and we’ll be sure happy to hear from you.
July 2nd, 2026 at 10:23 pm
Ben Hogan was a great golfer and well known for no patience suffering fools. A golfer begged Hogan, saying please, just watch my swing and give me your best advice. After extending badgering, Hogan relented and said, OK, let’s see it. The wannabe golfer hit a few balls and looked at Hogan and asked for advice. Hogan told him to try bowling.
July 3rd, 2026 at 2:19 pm
Kenton Smith
Are you saying that Baker should try bowling?
July 3rd, 2026 at 5:09 pm
Let’s get it done Bucs.
July 3rd, 2026 at 9:39 pm
@Ref813
Twenty years away from commenting and this is the take you came back with? That’s like disappearing for two decades and returning to tell everyone DVDs are the future. Every quarterback’s production drops when you remove starting receivers and offensive linemen. That’s football, not some groundbreaking Baker revelation.
Funny how you mention Baker’s supporting cast but conveniently ignore what he had to overcome: a defense that consistently gave up late leads, one of the league’s worst red-zone pass defenses, injuries across the roster, and constant pressure to score 30+ points just to have a chance. Yet somehow all the blame lands on the quarterback? You compare him to Ryan Fitzpatrick, but Fitzpatrick never won a division in Tampa, never gave this franchise back-to-back playoff appearances, never earned the locker room the way Baker has, and certainly never changed the culture.
By your standard, we’d never pay a quarterback because every QB looks worse when you take away protection, weapons, and a defense that can actually get a stop. Respectfully, please don’t wait another 20 years before your next comment, it might age about as well as this one.
🔥LFG!
💍Me!!
💰 BAKE!!!
July 4th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
Mentor Smith, trolls like you are why I don’t bother posting. You conttibute nothing, while showing the world how miserable you are. If you want to go after someone, at least make a point and don’t attempt to criticize mindlessly. Care to try again since you know me so well?
Everyone seems to make excuses for Baker not being consistently great, whether it’s an injury or an OC. It’s funny how I don’t recall constant excuses being made for Manning, Brady, or Rogers, probably because they didn’t struggle regularly to be elite, at least until age became an issue. Baker isn’t in the same league as them. If he’s thinking he should be paid like guys of that caliber, he’s crazy. He’s had some great games and a few good seasons. How that translates to being elite is beyond me. Obviously my intelligence is lacking and I need a new hobby….
Anyway, I was pretty happy with the off-season and think a very motivated Baker in a contract year is our best hope for having a winning season. We need him to be more than he’s been and I think he needs to prove he can earn elite money for at least one season before we go killing our cap by paying a spotty player like he’s Brady. I wish him the best. If we have to pay him next year, fine. At least it’ll be because he proved he can step up a good bit more and be consistent.
July 4th, 2026 at 2:21 pm
Almost forgot a few points for those who think Baker is elite…. I can’t think of an elite quarterback who ever allowed a team to go from the top of the league after more than 1/3 of the games to being one of the worst teams in the league. It would normally take the QB going down for such a collapse to happen. Yeah, he was injured, but he shouldn’t have been playing if he had a physical excuse for being as bad as he was. His numbers were only good in garbage time. Even early in the year, he struggled to play complete games.
Why would Evans leave if he had such great faith in Baker? He wouldn’t. He would’ve led one of the best groups in the league and had a great line, but he left instead. I have a feeling that his lack of faith in his QB, and maybe his coaches, had a lot to do with that, but, guess what? Evans never blames his coaches or the line for failing. He played great whenever he was healthy regardless of who surrounded him, unlike Baker.