Jason Licht Recoils At Baker Mayfield Question
August 28th, 2026
Jason Licht reacts with a bitter beer face when asked about Baker Mayfield’s possible future with the Bucs.
This had to be one of the funniest moments that Joe has seen/heard in a Bucs broadcast in a while.
As he does each preseason, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht made an appearance in the second half of the final worthless preseason game in the WFLA-TV Channel 8 broadcast booth to answer questions about the Bucs.
Licht was in a jovial mood. Why not? The regular season is about to start. He’s fielding questions from good guy Chris Myers and Licht is joking with his golfing and shuffleboard pal Bucs preseason color analyst Rondé Barber.
But then, Myers really threw Licht a curveball. And for those panicking that the Bucs have not yet re-signed Baker Mayfield, Licht’s reaction to a Mayfield question sent strong vibes that Mayfield isn’t going anywhere.
Myers asked Licht how “optimistic” he was that Mayfield will be the Bucs’ quarterback “beyond this season.”
As Joe stated, Licht was in a good mood. He smiled while Myers referenced Vita Vea leading up to his question. Then Licht looked down as he listened to Myers.
Then, Licht’s eyes suddenly darted straight ahead as if he was shocked with the question.
Licht, who’s not a great poker player, quickly developed bitter beer face and stared at Myers as if Myers asked him if he likes to chug warm beer in his office each morning. The look on Licht’s face was sort of like, “How can you ask me that?” And then Licht blurted out, “I feel very optimistic about it.”
The smile then returned to Licht’s face as he said Mayfield “wants to prove to us he’s the franchise quarterback that we said he was.”
Joe has typed many, many times this summer that everything Joe has heard on and off the record is that Mayfield will be your Bucs quarterback in 2027 somehow, some way.
Licht’s reaction last night to Myers’ perfectly reasonable question reinforced Joe’s read on the situation.
(Licht’s reaction to Myers’ question was so classic. Joe’s tried with minimalistic software several times to get a screenshot of Licht’s bitter beer face-reaction, but Joe cannot get the exact frame.)
August 28th, 2026 at 10:24 pm
Yep. I’ve seen more than ENOUGH of Browning by now, too. It’s pointless. He’s looked almost as good as Teddy did last season. He can’t even pull the trigger. He’s Worthless. I mean, you KNOW it’s REAL BAD when you have to turn to old Ballsack. It’s appropriate enough now, to start panicking.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:30 pm
Let’s just hope he has a great year, which I think he will. The kid is waiting in the wings.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:33 pm
“He wants to prove that he’s the franchise quarterback that we said he was?” You “said” the exact opposite by not signing him to a freaking contract!
August 28th, 2026 at 10:34 pm
This team has no depth. Same as last season. ZERO. Now, Jacksonville’s depth on the other hand, looked VERY impressive. Counting Travis Hunter, they had 4 (FOUR) WR’s ranked in the Top-44 in the league, according to ESPN Fantasy Rankings. There were at least 4 (probably 5) of Daniels’s passes tonight, that would’ve been CAUGHT, had it been JMac, EE, Godwin, and probably Hurts. And, I’m not so sure about that fumbled snap… It looked like, that was on #66 to me. It never touched or got to JD’s hands. I mean, hell… When the guy snaps-it right into his OWN nuts, what ya gonna do!? LoL. Didn’t we hire a Special Teams Guru, or Genius, or something!? Lmao. It’s gonna be ROUGH. Some tough sleddin.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:35 pm
The smile then returned to Licht’s face as he said Mayfield “wants to prove to us he’s the franchise quarterback that we said he was.”
———–
That’s literally all I said all offseason. Baker is under contract, play out his deal, if he does well, you give him a huge new deal – if not, you move on.
Baker has the same mindset.
Take that Baker Boi(s), I’m more in tune with Mayfield than you are.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:36 pm
They offered what they thought he was worth. He wants more now he has to prove he’s worth more.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:38 pm
The smile then returned to Licht’s face as he said Mayfield “wants to prove to us he’s the franchise quarterback that we said he was.”
I mean if he has to prove it then you already have your answer. Joe, how many times have you been lied to on and off the record? Just curious.
They’ve got a kid with energy and upside chomping at the bit to play and business wise, he’s cheaper. Don’t know if anyone noticed but the depth is bad on this team and that $50 million needs to be used to fix it, fast. But of course, if Baker is any good we’ll see it soon enough…and consistently.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:41 pm
I’m recoiling at the thought of Licht and Bowles leading the “charge” in 2027.
Uninspiring…both desperately want to be liked by/friends with the players.
Oh how we miss Bruce Arians…whose only downfall was his incredible loyalty to Bowles.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:41 pm
If Mayfield could play good to great in every game he would’ve been worth the contract by now now. He’s great at times and poor others and if he’s injured he disappears. Like Munch said he plays great give him a big contact if not draft his replacement
August 28th, 2026 at 10:42 pm
@ Crack3rK – They offered him 3-FULL YEARS (total, and at top-of-the-market’ level), at 31-YEARS OLD… When, NO other QB (other than Russell Wilson) has gotten MORE than that, who wasn’t re-signing with the ‘original’ team who DRAFTED THEM (Brady and Dak were the only other two). So, I mean, what the hell DO YOU EXPECT. He was offered a $105-$110-MILLION Extension. It’s absolutely ABSURD to expect anything more than that (and I wouldn’t had offered anything even CLOSE to it), AFTER last season, AND given his history. So, PLEASE.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:47 pm
Munchy i see your point. Baker Bros are so blinded by their devotion that they can’t think straight about baker.Then your point is also true in the opposite. you are as a Daniels dood are so enamored with this kid that you cant see the truth. So i understand Daniel s better than you as a Daniels dood do. He is a udfa passed up by 32 teams doing extensive research. Tonight he played against first and second stringers and stunk. Browning has relieved Burrows,and done well for a backup. Daniels will be put on the practice squad. I understand Daniels better than you do.
August 28th, 2026 at 10:47 pm
Great. We get it already Joe. You’re a Baker Boi through and through.
Years more of Mr Mid QB on deck. I look forward to rubbing your noses in it.
💩💩💩💩💩💩
August 28th, 2026 at 10:51 pm
And you are a Daniels dood through and through. Looking forward to years of games like today.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:04 pm
Baker simply just is t a good qb and if really watch a game closely he isn’t throwing 3 to5 balls a game that other QB , throw it !! He has a batted ball gimp and all the D coord know it . They are flooding his right side and he has to pull it down and make a ( great play) but it really is a not so good play because option 1 , he simply can’t make the throw to the batted balls gimp / yips …… is what it is ……. D Brees threw like a 6’ 4” release , Baker is a 6 foot release guy and it is a problem of some magnitude!! Liam really did a great job of getting him on short routes before the hands were to close …. and creating throwing lanes.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:17 pm
Marky mark … I’m just screwing around with the Baker Boi(s), they’re so easily triggered and insecure, and they oversell even the smallest criticism, it’s impossible not to tweak them.
With that said, I do think Daniels has looked really good for an UDFA QB, and I’d 100% keep him over Browning. That doesn’t mean I literally want him starting this season.
But next year? We’ll just see how this year goes. If Baker performs, you look him up for a long time. If he doesn’t? Well everyone is getting fired, and you’re starting over anyways, so having a guy on your roster that has shown promise is good to have around.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:17 pm
Daniels had 5 balls DROPPED. The first one to Patterson (or whomever) went right through his arms. The one to Tez is CAUGHT by JMac 💯 of the time, and prob at least 80-90% of the time by both, EE and Godwin. The one to Kam literally, hit him square in the CHIN, while he stood there wide-open and waiting for it. The one to Green, right off his hands… And, the next one (after his one catch), was even WORSE. I thought Daniels looked fine, under such very difficult circumstances. A HELLUVA LOT BETTER than friggin’ Browning.
But, look at all the Baker-Boi Bros… They’re all tore, and can’t handle it up LoL. Talkin bout gettin NERVOUS. But, here’s the thing… THEY are rooting AGAINST JD morphing into a Superstar. THEY DON’T want him to. That’s the thing. EVEN, if it ‘benefits’ the BUCS the most if HE does… Like, EVER IMAGINABLE. That’s exactly, what it would be at HIS salary… IF he were to become the starter AND earn ALL-PRO. That would literally be ‘their’ very WORST NIGHTMARE. Even, when nothing could ever be any better than that, for our BUCS.
Now, that should really tell you something there… Should tell you ALL you need to know. That, they are NOT real “Bucs Fans.” They are just “BAKER FANS.” At all cost. No matter WHAT. Undyingly. Everlastingly. They. Are. SCARED. TO.DEATH. Right Now. But, just wait for it when all the chants start raining down in Ray-Jay, to put the kid in. You’ll REALLY see their TRUE colors, then.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:21 pm
It is a big year for all of them. If Baker struggles, they could all be gone.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:23 pm
“ Then Licht, who’s not a good poker player…”
Hmm. I’m betting Baker Mayfield would be a good poker player.
A high stakes game. Hoping Baker is here in 2027. But if I had to raise that bet, I’d fold my cards.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:28 pm
@ Rod Munch – No, here’s the difference… And, it’s a BIG one. It is THE difference. WE are NOT ‘emotionally’ attached to Daniels, or anyone else. Not in ANY way. Cause, WE only want what is best FOR THE BUCS. We could not care ANY LESS, what happens to JD, Baker, or anyone else… Especially, AFTER they leave the BUCS. And, that is what makes these “Baker-Bois Bros,” just soooo insufferable. And, extremely WEIRD. Especially, for any ADULT.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:34 pm
Kenton Smith Says:
August 28th, 2026 at 11:23 pm
“ Then Licht, who’s not a good poker player…”
Hmm. I’m betting Baker Mayfield would be a good poker player.
A high stakes game. Hoping Baker is here in 2027. But if I had to raise that bet, I’d fold my cards.
———
Wow, such little faith in Baker.
If he performs, he’ll be here next year on a giant new deal making him one of the top 5 highest paid players in the NFL. If he doesn’t, then as I said before, everyone is getting fired, and the team is rebooting.
It’s really cut and dry.
If you’re a Baker Boi, that should be good news however, Baker generally plays his best when he’s “disrespected” … well, right up until he starts telling everyone how great he is, that’s when he falls off a cliff. But hey, maybe this time will be different – or maybe he will keep feeling disrespected until he gets a new deal. I hope so, since if he’s playing great, the Bucs are winning – and the Bucs aren’t going to let him walk if he can actually keep up the pace for 17 games and win in the playoffs.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:36 pm
We better be shopping for a quality bu QB….Jalon will be a 3rd.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:44 pm
I think Baker is more than willing to gamble that he has a great year followed by a new contract. And if he wins – he can’t beat that return on the dollars!! I’m betting on Baker Mayfield to succeed ! Why ? Because of his drive and the way he fights to win ! I mean next to Brady, nobody fights to win like Baker Mayfield !!
Can’t wait for the season!!
Go Bucs !!
August 28th, 2026 at 11:45 pm
You don’t look like you’ve hit your mid season form yet Munch. Reading your comments you said to pay Mayfield if he performs. All last year and offseason everything that happened bad to this team was tied in someway to Mayfield. I had to go back and read the paying Mayfield 3 times because I didn’t think you’d ever write something like that. Maybe someone is filling in on your account or is this the softer side of Munch! Haha I almost want to do a welfare check on you to make sure you’re ok bud! 🤣
August 28th, 2026 at 11:51 pm
This just reinforces my belief Licht puts on an “aw shucks” personality for the media, but behind closed doors he’s a narcissist.
Probably explains why all the local media can bash Todd (rightfully so) but treats Flesh Licht like an infallible god.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:54 pm
Well. Munch is right. The time to re-sign Baker passed. Baker’s choice was to sign a bad deal. An objectively bad deal but one that gives some level of security he does not presently have.
Or, play out this contract and force them to pay him, if he does well.
If he doesn’t do well, the new HC may want his own QB. So he’s back on FA and there will be plenty of suitors.
Where it gets interesting is if the Offense leads strongly and the team still loses because of bad Defense, Robinson may take the reins. He will not want to lose a QB that produced. But he will want his own GM.
August 28th, 2026 at 11:55 pm
@rod
“That’s literally all I said all offseason.”
That literally not all you have said and so its a literal lie – but for those of us who have been around – nothing new.
August 29th, 2026 at 1:09 am
This team is on the road to nowhere with Todd at the helm. I mean, just look across the sideline and see how galvanized the other team was. Night and day.
August 29th, 2026 at 4:05 am
Try before you buy. I love Baker Mayfield and I think he is as solid as they come. He is involved in the TB community and they in turn have accepted him as one their own. Here in SW Florida we love watching him play whether good, bad or ugly. Last season ended ugly. Let’s see if this season is better and if it is then Lichtenstein can reward the Baxter with a nice, juicy contract. Go Bucs. Go Canes.
August 29th, 2026 at 4:15 am
Lmao.
Mayfield was excited to throw to Evans and Chris Godwin.
Now, no Evans, Godwin may be toting chronic injuries. MacMillian has been meh, and has to recover psychologically from having his neck broken.
Then all you have left is first year and rookie Wide receivers
EE looked great for 7 games, then fell off the map and became invisible.
Tez Johnson only looks good, because his fellow WRs are weak.
Everyone talks about Baker struggling the last half of last season.
Yet I haven’t seen one reporter or fan point out that Mayfield was throwing to THREE ROOKIE WRS, and a weak TE room.
Rookies screw up. No QB wants to throw to rookies.
Fans and sports reporters used to understand the game.
Now- mouth breathers who never even realize a QB will have Issues- if his WRs suck. Not hard to figure.
I’ve been saying for Months- I don’t think Mayfield has any plans on coming back to the Bucs. I think he’s outta here. It’s gonna take a fortune to change his mind.
Oh, and like every preseason. Jaylon Daniels sure looked great playing against guys that won’t ever play a regular Season game in the NFL.
Last night, he played against some 2nd string guys. Guys that will be playing week one.
And Daniels looked like an undrafted rookie. He looked horrible.
Be glad he wasn’t playing against a 1st string NFL defense. Everyone would be calling for him to be cut today.
Big difference in playing the scrubs, and playing the real NFL defenders.
August 29th, 2026 at 5:09 am
The defense was on the field 10 minutes more than the offense last night. Daniels took a beating. His athletic ability kept him from getting a worse beating. I hope he is not beat up too bad. I don’t think Browning could have survived last night. Baker didn’t even play and a large part of the conversation is about how much he sucks? So Trask, Bridgewater, Mayfield, Browning, and Daniels all suck??? Knock knock!!! Our QBs are not the problem. Until we have a competent offensive coaching staff fretting over who todays QB is and who the future QB is does nothing to help the team win. This ” final worthless preseason game” contrasted a team with a well prepared offense against a team with a poorly prepared offense. Our offense looked poorly prepared last week too.
August 29th, 2026 at 5:36 am
Rod Munch, the Buc’s letting Baker walk and Baker walking are two different things issues! If the Bucs really wanted to keep Baker, the deal would have been signed sealed and delivered before training camp, right? So, they decided to play Texas Hold’em, putting the ball in Baker’s court and generating opinions from both sides of the equation, right! Already feeling disrespected, Baker has a successful 2026, Baker walks or 2026 is a repeat of 2025, everyone top to bottom walks! Either way one side of the equation will be “I told you so”, right?
August 29th, 2026 at 7:48 am
A fair number of people here (OR, mebbe a SMALL number with a LOT of screen names) seem REALLY invested in the Bucs failing, Baker in particular. I don’t get the mindset
August 29th, 2026 at 10:55 am
You got to see the true JL face for a second when his genius was questioned. Then the smiling mask came back on accompanied by a deception.
@Winny,
I’m of the same opinion. I have no vote of confidence for the mediocre duo of JL and Bowles. There is no Arians to bail them out.
I get that same beer face every 4th quarter watching Bowles find a way to lose. somehow he only gets blamed for the defense. Last I checked he is the HC for some unfathomable reason.
August 29th, 2026 at 11:26 am
@Beeej
Those who are on this site and are invested in the Bucs and/or Baker failing probably live in their mommies basement and like to torment others online. Most of the comments have no basis in facts. Statistics are only used when it’s possible to look a few plays and make it sound like one person (Todd or Baker) were entirely at fault for a loss. An overthrown pass will be judged a hospital ball although the O line failed to block edge rushers and they were all over the qb. Heaven forbid an interception which is always the qb’s fault although a receiver ran the wrong route or there was a tipped pass. Etc, etc
It’s a team game.
August 29th, 2026 at 7:11 pm
Okiejim Says:
August 29th, 2026 at 5:36 am
Rod Munch, the Buc’s letting Baker walk and Baker walking are two different things issues! If the Bucs really wanted to keep Baker, the deal would have been signed sealed and delivered before training camp, right?
————
Baker cost the Bucs the playoffs last year, and got the entire offensive staff fired. Why would you reward that with a new contract making him the 3rd highest player in the NFL?
What the Bucs want to know, what I want to know, is Baker the guy in 2024 who was just injured last year – or is Baker just what he’s always been, a very inconsistent QB who you can’t count on when it matters?
If the Bucs want to keep him is going to depend on how he plays this year. If Baker has a good year, then that means he’s had only 1 bad year in 4 years – and you can tell yourself it was injuries that caused the disaster we saw last year. But if Baker has another bad year, it means he’s had 2 bad years in 4 seasons, and that’s 2 bad seasons in a row, and if Baker is bad it almost certainly means everyone is getting fired, so you’re starting over again in any case.
August 29th, 2026 at 7:13 pm
MikeBuc Says:
August 28th, 2026 at 11:55 pm
@rod
“That’s literally all I said all offseason.”
That literally not all you have said and so its a literal lie – but for those of us who have been around – nothing new.
———-
That is what I’ve been saying, you Baker Boi(s) just don’t listen. Care to point to where I’ve said anything else? I mean the other option would be saying we need to cut Baker now or get another starting option – which I’ve never talked about. All I’ve said all offseason is do not extend Baker, let him play out his contract, and see how he does – and if he’s the 2024 version of Baker, and actually performs when the pressure is on, then to give him a giant new extension.
The idea of rewarding Baker after he cost the Bucs the playoffs last year and looked awful is beyond dumb.
August 29th, 2026 at 10:40 pm
Baker has already proven it. This is like any other employer that constantly moves the bar higher to make an employee jump through hoops just to get what already should have been coming to him. I hope Baker wins the MVP and then goes to the highest bidder in the off-season unless the Bucs get a deal done early in the season.
August 30th, 2026 at 2:16 pm
The idea of rewarding Baker after he cost the Bucs the playoffs last year and looked awful is beyond dumb.
The idea that ANY one player “cost them the playoffs” shows that you fundamentally DO NOT UNDERSTAND the game!
My 8th graders lost last week. On every play 8 or 9 players did exactly the right thing…. and the other 2 completely screwed us.
IT TAKES ALL 22! Period.
August 31st, 2026 at 7:31 am
Baker didn’t cost the playoffs. Lack of guards did. I am still shocked Dan Feeney is on this friggin’ team! He’s awful. I sure hope Schrauth recovers and is way better than Feeney.