Breaking: ‘Ball’s in Their Court’ $100m QB declares desire to play for Buccaneers, ready to take a paycut to get Mike Evans back with Bucs

It’s nice when a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want a player to return and that player is public about his desire to do so.

That’s the case right now between the Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield who helped the team surprise everyone by winning the NFC South and reaching the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs before losing to the Detroit Lions.

Now, with free agency right around the corner Tampa Bay has several players with decisions to make. While receiver Mike Evans is the most popular name fans are calling for to be re-signed, Mayfield himself may be the most important because of his influence and position.

As the quarterback continues to share his love for the organization publicly, he also says his return to the team is in their hands.

“There’s a little give and take, but I love it there,” Mayfield said to Jim Rome when asked about his status moving forward. “Going into free agency last year I had the mentality I’m gonna pick somewhere organizationally – top down – they do it well (and) they’re about winning. (Because) at that point in my career, that’s all I wanted to do was have a chance to win, and be in a good spot, and enjoy it again. So I’ll have that mentality but obviously, I’ve seen what Tampa does firsthand. The ball’s in their court right now, but yeah we would love to be back there.” In his one year with the Bucs, Mayfield threw for a career-high 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns while throwing just 10 interceptions. He also came just two yards shy of matching his career-high in rushing yards, earned his first Pro Bowl appearance, and won his second career playoff game.

Spotrac projects Mayfield to earn $27.1 million in average annual value on a new four-year deal.

The Buccaneers are currently projected to have just over $37.5 million in salary cap space in the new league year.

Baker Mayfield implies he’ll take a paycut to get Mike Evans back with Bucs

All eyes are on Las Vegas and Super Bowl 58 this weekend, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have more attention focused on the offseason and how the team can piece together a roster that will still be playing this time next year.

The first step in doing that is figuring out how to bring back both Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans. Both are set to become free agents next month and neither can be allowed to get away if the Bucs want to seriously contend for a Super Bowl next year.

It’s a chicken-and-egg situation, though, as the question is which player will get his new deal first. Baker feels closer to a sure thing than Evans, who continues to be the subject of rumors about signing with teams like the Jets, Chiefs, and Texans.

Both should be back in Tampa Bay, though, and it sounds like Baker is throwing around some of his weight to get the Bucs front office to do the right thing.

Baker Mayfield says ‘sacrifices’ will be made to get Mike Evans back in Tampa Bay

While sitting down with Dan Patrick at Media Row in Las Vegas, Baker laid out what it might take to get Evans back with the Bucs and the lengths he could be willing to go.

“Oh, I think there will be some sacrifices along the way. There are mutual benefits for us to come back together,” Baker said.

That sure sounds like he’s willing to take less money on his new deal — or agree to a specific structure — in order to get Evans back. Baker has been very vocal about how important it is to him that Evans returns to Tampa Bay next season, and it seems he’s starting to take some next steps as far as making a sales pitch.

Something else to read into is the general sentiment, which is that Baker is already mentally back with the Bucs. He hasn’t signed a new deal yet but just about every sign continues to point toward that happening as soon as it can.

The new league year doesn’t begin until March 11th, but the franchise tag deadline is a week before that on March 5th. That’s the first big checkpoint of the offseason for the Bucs and could be when Baker gets tagged.

Baker already showing a willingness to sacrifice some money on his deal to make sure Evans gets paid what he’s owed — and returns to Tampa Bay — is just another example of why he’s so beloved in the Bucs locker room. It’s also a clear sign that he’s not only intending to return next year but is all-in on building a Super Bowl contender.