Team Glazer Refuses To Play With Fire
September 8th, 2026
So Team Glazer makes the biggest of the big Buccaneers football decisions. They bless them with their words and wallet.
Everyone who watched the Team Glazer–produced Raise The Flags documentary knows that.
Sage Ira Kaufman has said it for years. The owners pick the head coach and the general manager, and they hands-on approve the very expensive contract decisions.
The Joe typing here has barked for months on the Ira Kaufman Podcast that Team Glazer was too smart to play games and let Baker Mayfield get to a contract year. Team Glazer is far too logical to have found a relatively young franchise quarterback and let him walk out the door for no good reason.
So it makes all the sense in the world that ownership wasn’t willing to play with fire and coughed up the money at the 11th hour to get a deal done with Mayfield today.
Reports of the contract extension for Mayfield claim it to be for three years, $165 million. The exact numbers are unclear, but what is clear is that Mayfield is on track to become the first Buccaneers quarterback in history to be the full-time starting QB for seven consecutive seasons.
Look it up. The Bucs have never had a starting QB be the full-time guy for even six consecutive seasons.
Now the business side of the Bucs has a name to build around. Fans know Mayfield and love him. They do not love the head coach. So from a business perspective, securing Mayfield had extra importance, Joe believes.
Mayfield already had a strong voice in picking offensive coordinators and free agent players around him. Today, he got even more powerful at One Buc Palace.
Just the way Team Glazer wanted it.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:31 pm
You called it! Great move by the Glazers and Licht. Excited to see the team this season and Baker for many more. Go Bucs!
September 8th, 2026 at 8:34 pm
Wonder if Baker had any influence with keeping Todd on as HC this year? Glad he is signed. Think in two years this will turn out to be a middle of the pack contract for starting QBs. LFG !
September 8th, 2026 at 8:34 pm
Bravo Team Glazer!
So Happy we managed to Keep Mayfield in the fold.
I don’t care who’s on your team.
In the today’s NFL – if you don’t have a QB, you will not win.
Now we will have a Qb we can build around!
Bravo!
September 8th, 2026 at 8:34 pm
Giving Baker a huge new deal IS playing with fire.
The safe route would be playing out the season and seeing what you get before rewarding him after his complete and total collapse last season. Making a guy -who has had one good year in his entire career – the 3rd highest paid player in the NFL is very much playing with fire.
Hopefully it works out.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:35 pm
You don’t place 2 in tds and 3rd in yards since signing with the Bucs by being a bad quarterback. He is a great qb who will a lot of games for the Bucs in the future. It is a win win for everyone but a couple crybabies in this comment section. But they would rather baker suck this year and the Bucs win 3 games to be right about something. Can you say narcissist Melvin? Rod? Bee? Anyone
September 8th, 2026 at 8:41 pm
I love having Baker as our QB. But it all falls apart if we don’t keep him healthy.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:46 pm
I would’ve waited until the end of the season to see how he played. We’re handing a QB with a career losing record and fresh off a historic collapse top money.
I think it’s fair to question our current business model. We only sign fringe guys in FA. Zero Pro Bowlers drafted in 6 years. We’ve been a .500 ball club for several seasons in a terrible division. How is just re-signing the guys that got us to .500, but for more money, a winning formula?
Has giving massive raises to Zyon, AWJ, Godwin, Goedeke made us a better team? How many are living up to their fat new paychecks?
September 8th, 2026 at 8:47 pm
Jeffbuc Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 8:35 pm
You don’t place 2 in tds and 3rd in yards since signing with the Bucs by being a bad quarterback. He is a great qb who will a lot of games for the Bucs in the future.
———
2-11 in primetime and playoff games.
Also I noticed you left out he lead the NFL in turnovers in that same timeframe.
Winston had similar numbers in terms of rankings, and people couldn’t wait to run him out of town.
Baker meanwhile is made the 3rd highest paid player in the NFL.
Amazing.
Again, hopefully it works out, but this is a very risky move that was unnecessary as Baker was already under contract and the Bucs could have just waited and seen how things went.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Rod,
Pretty much the same thing I’ve been thinking all off-season. I’m not as hard on him as you but get your point. He’s always been up and down his whole career.. Hopefully last half last year was all the excuses everyone uses for him plus the ol and terrible hc.
By the way, when I grow up I hope to get as much love as you do from fans of JBF.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:54 pm
The contract is an average contract for a starting NFL QB
The Glazer’s realize that
Elite QBs will be making $100 million a season in the near future
They didn’t overpay for Baker Mayfield
This is what Spotrac valuated him at
I just want 12 wins this season
September 8th, 2026 at 8:55 pm
I saw a post that had Baker’s contract expired and we franchised him, it would have been something like an $80 million dead cap hit. So financially, it wasn’t a bad decision in the short term.
September 8th, 2026 at 8:56 pm
HeartyDICK,
WINFIELD and WIRFS are pro bowlers….
September 8th, 2026 at 8:58 pm
76dug Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 8:48 pm
Rod,
Pretty much the same thing I’ve been thinking all off-season. I’m not as hard on him as you but get your point. He’s always been up and down his whole career.. Hopefully last half last year was all the excuses everyone uses for him plus the ol and terrible hc.
By the way, when I grow up I hope to get as much love as you do from fans of JBF.
———-
Sorry kid, no one can ever be loved as much as the people love me. But it’s still good to aim high, and even if you miss….
As for Baker, I really do hope this works out. I’ve had my say, and I’ll still say it when people try to paint over his history, but I’ve been a Bucs fan my entire life, watched or listened to every single game since 1987 (and still watched games before that, but just not every single one), and I hope this is another brilliant move by Licht.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:02 pm
DailyRich Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 8:55 pm
I saw a post that had Baker’s contract expired and we franchised him, it would have been something like an $80 million dead cap hit. So financially, it wasn’t a bad decision in the short term.
———
If he was worth tagging, they just would have extended him.
But if they had to carry an $80M cap hit, yes, they could have done it by moving money around. Not the easiest thing to do, for sure, but not like they couldn’t have done it.
What, to me, will be more interesting is to find out the actual structure and if the Bucs put in protections for themselves or really did go all in. If the money is guaranteed, but that money is all paid yearly — meaning we’re not using a bunch of void year tricks and signing bonuses — that would still let the Bucs trade Baker if he had a bad year, and there is almost certainly a team that would take on the salary. I do not expect that, I assume part of doing this deal is freeing up a bunch of money for next year so they can bring back Yaya and Cody, but we’ll see as we learn more details.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:16 pm
Rod,
Row 62 seats 13 and 14. East side 50 yard line old sombrero. Starting in ’76, didn’t miss a game for 7 years until I started traveling for work. Dad didn’t miss one till they opened RJ.
Highlight every week was Joe from down the street walking in to sit above us with a girl on each arm from his club. Good times!!!
September 8th, 2026 at 9:21 pm
1 good year Rod?
His year with Canales wasn’t bad.
Pretty sure he played well early in his career… you don’t lead the Browns(!) to the playoffs by being a bad QB… just ask their current crop.
Baker cannot play injured. It cost him his job with the Browns and it cost the Bucs last year even though they didn’t have a legit backup option.
Protect yourself now as an investment for the Bucs and if you aren’t healthy enough to be accurate… sit out, rest and get some seasoning on Daniels.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:32 pm
I too was keen on the structure, curious to locate outs for the Bucs if Baker wet the bed. And then I thought … why? Why now?
Baker agreed to “prove himself” and let the chips fall where they may. But something happened. Made me wonder if the Glazers had just watched DRAFT DAY and were looking to make a real-life, congruent to the movie, “ splash.”
Allowing Baker to play this season in a ‘prove it’ environment was a win-win for all concerned.
Baker and his Boi’s thought him great. Fine,no problem. PROVE IT! Nobody should have a problem with that.
If this was a guy who had been lighting up the league with Super Bowls or a plethora of playoff wins, the possibility of a prove it year would never have materialized. But it did, and someone needlessly panicked. Was it Licht trying to convince the Glazers that Baker was a late bloomer, or was it the business wise, football unwise children of Daddy Malcolm?
Tune in next week for another edition of the C. Burnett produced, As The Stomach Turns.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:33 pm
CreamsicleBuc Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 8:56 pm
HeartyDICK,
WINFIELD and WIRFS are pro bowlers….
Correct. They were drafted in 2020. It is now 2026. Licht hasn’t drafted a Pro Bowler since then. Hence my comment.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:34 pm
Saskbucs Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 9:21 pm
1 good year Rod?
His year with Canales wasn’t bad.
Pretty sure he played well early in his career… you don’t lead the Browns(!) to the playoffs by being a bad QB… just ask their current crop.
———
I do not personally think that one year with the Browns counts as “very good” as that was a run first team and Baker was more of a game manager – for me, I’d call that a merely a “good” year. But if you want to say two “very good” years, fair enough – but that’s till just 2 of 8 years as being a “very good” player, and now he’s the 3rd highest paid player in the NFL.
Seems a bit much to me, but again, it’s a done deal – so hopefully Licht knows what he’s doing and it all works out.
I do agree on protection however. In 2020 Baker had a great offensive line, and in 2024 Baker had a great offensive line. Thankfully, if the Bucs offensive line can stay healthy, they should be one of the best in the NFL this season, so that bodes well for Baker.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:36 pm
This article is dedicated to the frequent posters about Glazers being “cheap”.
It always puzzles me to read that take from folks who clearly weren’t around during the Culverhouse era.
It’s fine to complain but for the love of everyone’s time, please have a modicum of rationale and/ or logic behind inane statements. That tripe is as tone deaf as Jared Kushner in Kyiv.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:38 pm
Baker is about to lead all bucs QBs in every statistical QB stat kinda wild, go baker go bucs
September 8th, 2026 at 9:47 pm
Baker stays our leader and keeps the offense in top half of the league regardless of the rotating offensive coordinator. Bucs make another strong run, I am already seeing Zac Robinson getting offered a 3rd HC job from Baker. The league loves McVay OCs as HC. My money is ZR to Cincy, Browns, Jets, Commanders, Colts.
September 8th, 2026 at 9:47 pm
….and ALLLLLLL the Baker haters melting down HAHAHAHA!!! I knew this day would come HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
September 8th, 2026 at 10:00 pm
If only the Glazers would have done the obvious and sensible thing by ending the charade with dead weight Bowles back in January…
September 8th, 2026 at 10:01 pm
Tampa2ATL Says:
It always puzzles me to read that take from folks who clearly weren’t around during the Culverhouse era.
———-
No kidding.
Plus they can never point to who the Bucs were supposed to have been paying that they cheaped out on. The Bucs haven’t let anyone leave over money that they wanted to keep, so all these dummies have is just typical fantasy football nonsense where they think every FA ever should have gotten top dollar from Tampa … and of course if they did, the same people would think talk about what a dumb deal it was and how Bowles and Licht should be fired for making the deal.
September 8th, 2026 at 10:02 pm
Not just one good year with the Browns Rod. Finishing second in ROY voting in 2018 and setting the record for most touchdown passes by a rookie is a great year for a rookie on a bad team. 2019 was a bad year. When Freddy Kitchens is the head coach, he gets a pass for that year. 2020 was the year they beat the Steelers in the playoffs. 2021 he should not have been on the field. No quarterback should be on the field for almost the whole season with the injury he had.
September 8th, 2026 at 10:25 pm
There’s a big between being parsimonious and understanding the game of football.
The Glazers are a far cry from the former, and anyone who says differently cannot read, or count.
With reference to the latter … some of their decisions defy logic.
September 8th, 2026 at 10:26 pm
76dug Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 9:16 pm
Rod,
Row 62 seats 13 and 14. East side 50 yard line old sombrero. Starting in ’76, didn’t miss a game for 7 years until I started traveling for work. Dad didn’t miss one till they opened RJ.
Highlight every week was Joe from down the street walking in to sit above us with a girl on each arm from his club. Good times!!!
————
That’s pretty awesome. While the old stadium was a dump with disgusting bathrooms, it was a fun place in how rowdy it was. The old Tampa Stadium, with those super cheap seats, let in a low of the undesirables who were annoying, loud and liked to start fights. It made for some great viewing at your seats when the games were going poorly. RayJay basically priced out a lot of those people.
September 8th, 2026 at 10:37 pm
Oscar Says:
September 8th, 2026 at 10:02 pm
Not just one good year with the Browns Rod. Finishing second in ROY voting in 2018 and setting the record for most touchdown passes by a rookie is a great year for a rookie on a bad team.
———–
I said “very good.”
Baker’s QBR his rookie year was 51.2 – that’s not even in the “good” category.
For the record, I’ve never said Winston had a “very good” rookie season – and he had a much better 57.2 QBR, had more total TDs (28 total, 22 air, 6 on the ground vs Baker’s 27 total), more yards, a lower INT percentage, was also 2nd team ROY AND made the Pro-Bowl.
September 8th, 2026 at 11:08 pm
Rod, I’d say he had two very good years, one here; one in Cleveland. I throw out the rookie year and last year due to injuries. This will be the best team personnel wise he has ever played on. He has suffered from having no continuity in.the OC. I’d love to see what he can do with continuity.
September 9th, 2026 at 12:12 am
Bakers biggest problem is himself, playing “get beat up hero ball”. The sooner he learns the greatest ability is availability, the better.. Red Badge of Courage does not win a game for you if you stuck on the sideline carrying a clip board.
Rod Bake is not anywhere near perfect, but he is a long way from the days of Winston. During his last season, 4 games Winston’s 1st pass of the game was intercepted, and another game it was during the first drive. Can just imagine the internal crap, when a defense is being put behind the 8 ball again and again. The Houston game the defense did not even give up a first down and the Bucs were down 10-0. Those things crush the lockeroom vibe. Suh specifically was gone until Brady signed. Baker is not perfect by a long shot, but he is not close to what it was like with Jameis. BTW I have been a Nole fan since 1979, but so what, I am just saying it like it was when Jameis was a Buc.
September 9th, 2026 at 12:21 am
I don’t get the injury excuse for Baker playing like trash last year. The INT’s he threw were piss poor reads and bad throws, injuries is a BS excuse.
He tries to play above his abilities and that leads to errors, constantly.
Bucs had all the leverage in the negotiations and just pissed it away for no reason. FRANCHISE him if he plays well. Maybe we can make Yaya the highest paid OLB before the season starts too, look at all his pressures!!
September 9th, 2026 at 12:53 am
Great deal, for both sides, and it’s structured well.
Also, very well timed… especially since Baker was scheduled to speak tomorrow, and this week kicks off the start of the season.
Pretty crafty media manipulation all ‘round.
Baker has been acknowledged for what he’s done, and the team has shown him there’s no more ‘prove it’ deals. They showed him he’s proven enough. They also showed him great respect in front of the league.
This will light Baker on fire, this offense is a bit of a throwback to his best season ever, the defense will create some havoc and make some stops. Appears to be a very interesting season unfolding.
September 9th, 2026 at 2:50 am
Thank you glazers. You cannot ever be labeled cheep. Thats for sure. Go Bucs.
September 9th, 2026 at 8:42 am
Anyone remember the bucs letting 3 QBs go to just watch them win Superbowls for a different team? I for one definitely don’t want to see that happen again. Glad the deal got done. The bucs stay healthy they are definitely contenders. Lfg!!!!!
September 9th, 2026 at 9:43 am
It is playing with fire. BUT, there was no better alternative. Baker could have walked at the end of the year. Letting him play it out was just as much a gamble as this new deal. The risk was no compensation if he decided to walk. They could still trade him in the next couple years with the deal in place. Glazers are risk averse. This was the best deal for them and hopefully the team. There is a chance it goes really really bad, but the total unknown next year had the same possibility. There was no win/win situation. Glazers chose the safest route.
September 9th, 2026 at 11:20 am
Joe says:
Now the business side of the Bucs has a name to build around. Fans know Mayfield and love him. They do not love the head coach. So from a business perspective, securing Mayfield had extra importance, Joe believes.
Exactly! Bowles is the only thing standing in the way of Bucs’ success. There must be an upgrade at HC AND DC for Baker and the Bucs to realize their full potential.
September 9th, 2026 at 11:42 am
Trent Dilfer practically handed that 17-13 loss to the Giants on a silver platter. It was an offensive meltdown of epic proportions, especially since the Buccaneers’ legendary defense absolutely suffocated New York, holding their offense to a minuscule 107 total yards (the lowest in Tampa Bay franchise history at the time). The Fumble-Six: On just the third offensive play of the game, Jessie Armstead sacked Dilfer, forcing a fumble that bounced right into defensive tackle Christian Peter’s arms for a 38-yard touchdown. The Interceptions: Dilfer threw three interceptions on the day. One was a pick-six to rookie Andre Weathers that completely erased a 10-7 Bucs lead. Another was a truly baffling, desperate jump-throw across his body as he was drifting out of bounds—a play that lives on in infamy on highlight reels. We could have taken knee and won that game.
September 9th, 2026 at 11:45 am
That was 1999 by the west. I was 18 and throwing my remote. I’ve hilled lot and stopped drinking. 😃
September 9th, 2026 at 12:23 pm
@ Drunk
That’s a bad mojo memory to bring up. We used to call him big dumb-a$$. Hated that he lucked into a superbowl win.
September 9th, 2026 at 4:33 pm
there is always silence when it comes time to who if not baker. nice to gamble with someone elses 6 billion franchise and just roll the dice and “see how things go” lol, fantasy football at its best. like you can just pick the qb you want anytime you want.
the glazers made the right decision to over ride jason’s foolishness. thats the second time this month? they werent going to let jason keep being cheap with their franchise and wrecking their brand. they got hurt by letting mike go, they got hurt by letting coen go. how many other bad decisions has jason been called on the carpet for recently? jason doesnt remember who called who.
LOL. “jason it’s your bosses calling, we want to know why you arent signing baker, why havent you called us with options. you are making us all look bad”
his angry jason routine every time he steps up to the microphone and someone has the b@lls to ask him what every buc fan is thinking.
another ego wrecking week for jason lite. he really should retire and take todd and zzzyon with him.